Gardening with native trees, shrubs and perennials in an environment similar to where they occur naturally is a common sense approach to landscaping.

Non-native and exotic species of plants struggle to adapt to a particular site and are far more susceptible to insect and disease infestation. Native plants on the other hand, having evolved in the very environment in which we may plant them, are often able to fight both disease and insects naturally. What this means to the environmentally friendly gardener is less dependence on synthetic fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides, all of which can have negative short and long term impacts on the environment.

There are several other reasons to choose natives: Not only have our many native plant species evolved to fill a specific ecological niche, but also many species of wildlife have evolved in conjunction with them for food and shelter. For example, our native songbirds depend heavily on very specific trees and shrubs to feed and house their young. Planting bird-friendly species will without a doubt, help attract these beautiful backyard songbirds all year long.

For more information about ecological gardening log onto the Native Landscapes Garden Center website at www.NativeLandscaping.net.

And tune in to hear "The Living Landscape" with Pete Muroski throughout the day on LIME Radio, Sirius Satellite channel 114. Thanks for visiting "The Living Landscape".