Use pesticides sparingly, if at all. Many pesticides persist in the environment long after application and can make their way into waterways through run-off. Often there are less toxic or even non-toxic controls available that work as well and cause far less harm to the environment. For example, I managed to erradicate a nest of yellowjackets by allowing my rainbarrels to trickle water into their nest entry for a day or so. In fairness, my husband tried a pesticide spray first; it didn’t work. The water did.

Try to include native plants in your landscapes. Native trees, shrubs, grasses, and yes, even weeds provide pollen to support native bee species, which in turn ensure that all plants in the area are pollinated so they can produce flowers and fruit. Some of prettiest plants in my landscape are volunteers seeded by visiting birds; the beautyberry that grows by my mail box, for instance, is lovely. Tiny clusters of white springtime blooms give way to clusters of bright purple berries that linger through the summer and fall, feeding cardinals and mocking birds. The plant is incredibly drought tolerant and thrives on benevolent neglect. I never fertilize or water it; I just prune it occasionally to keep it in bounds. Now, that’s my kind of gardening!