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Perennial gardens using native plants provide food and habitat for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
Wildflowers add summer-long color and lighthearted movement to a home's yard. They'll reseed themselves to provide more flowers next summer.
Edible landscapes combine flowers and vegetables: pole beans alongside climbing roses, kale mixed with coreopsis, lettuces tucked into the garden's nooks and crannies.
Low-growing, spreading plants such as miniature sedums, Irish and Scottish mosses, and creeping thymes and oreganos can be used in patches to replace sections of lawn.
Pachysandra, periwinkle, and other traditional ground covers are good lawn alternatives for shady or hard-to-mow areas.
Moss grows naturally in moist, shady areas, and lends a green and cushiony look to out-of-the-way spaces.
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