Three years ago, I reduced my front yard by two-thirds establishing a sustainable landscape full of native shrubs, perennials and pollinators to attract birds, bees and butterflies. Included in the landscape is a rain garden, which is a method of managing runoff rainwater from my roof to percolate the rainwater naturally into the ground instead of becoming contaminated run off of water by salt and brine used to clear our streets during the winter months. I owe my passion and knowledge of the importance and benefits of growing natives from Burlington County Parks Senior Naturalist, Jen Bulava and Entomologist, Ecologist and Conservationist, Doug Tallamy. Doug Tallamy's books, Bringing Nature Home and Nature's Best Hope have become my blueprint for a sustainable yard. You can find many of his talks on YouTube.

Enjoy – Joyce Goldsmith