3–4 minute read

Managed natural areas provide habitat for wildlife and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing lawn mowing. The videos below show how to replace lawn areas with natives, edibles, or rain gardens. They were created to further the Town of Hillsborough managed natural landscaping ordinance and comprise the capstone project of the 2020 trainee class of the Orange County Extension Master GardenerSM program. Read more about the Hillsborough ordinance.

Edible Landscaping

Edible landscaping (“foodscaping”) is a way to add vegetable and fruit plants to existing garden beds and containers instead of planting a separate food garden. Tucking edible plants among your flowers saves space, discourages weeds, adds interest to your yard, and provides pollinator habitats. In this video, we show you how to do it!

Resources

Rain Gardens

Installing a rain garden is a cost-effective and attractive way to enhance your home’s beauty and value while at the same time decreasing storm water runoff and pollution in local creeks and waterways. We created this short instructional video explaining the simple steps used to install a rain garden of any size.

Resources

Native Plants

The Town of Hillsborough permits residents to replace high-maintenance lawns with native plants, which provide food and shelter for wildlife and support the pollinators that sustain over 75% of the world’s plant species. We discuss the benefits of native plants, various approaches to a managed natural landscape, native plants for sun and shade, and how to create your own native landscape.

Resources

Get Started
Visit Native Plantings for Inspiration

Find Native Plants for Your Yard
Identify and Remove Invasive Species
Install a Managed Meadow
Purchase Native Plants and Seeds
Promote and Protect Wildlife
Register Your Garden as a Wildlife Habitat

National Pollinator Garden Challenge

Find Additional Resources

Additional Resources for the Native Plant Gardener