Native plants and learning to garden

For quite a while now, Eric and I have been talking about what to do with our yard (particularly our back yard, which is quite large for an urban lot). I think we may finally have some ideas! We’ve met a landscape designer who specializes in designing spaces that utilize plants that are native to a specific region, and that are as ecologically sustainable as possible. Along the way he’s introduced us to some beautiful plant catalogs that are full of prairie and woodland plants (the two habitats that are native to our lot), and to some other wonderful ideas. I love browsing in the Prairie Moon Nursery site, and also at the Prairie Nursery (a different, but similar, site). I’m also learning about rain gardens, and sustainable urban landscape design. It may be a while before we actually make these dreams real, but somehow I’m more willing to invest some time and energy (not to mention scarce financial resources) in a project that has some ecological benefits to it, too.