Getting ready for the summer run

from March 2022 Dixie

by Alabama Living

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

DISTRICT 1 Thomas Ellis Tom James James Sikes

DISTRICT 2

Helena Duncan Kim Jackson, Vice Chairman John Livings

DISTRICT 3

Andrew Callaway, Chairman Jimmy Ellis, Secretary/Treasurer Albert Perry

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By Mail: Post Office Box 30 Union Springs, AL 36089

In Person: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday 9100 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36117 402 East Blackmon Union Springs, AL 36089

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Dixie Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

R. Gary Harrison

At a recent meeting with our power supplier, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, their engineers were talking about preparing the generation facilities for the “summer run.” We recognize that for most members, all you really want to know about our electricity is that the light will always come on when you flip the switch regardless of whether it is the coldest or warmest day of the year. However, we want everyone to understand that a lot of long-term planning goes into making sure we are able to achieve the level of reliability that you expect from your electric cooperative.

When planning for the summer load on the electric grid, it is important that the system has been modeled correctly so that when a week hits with heat indices steadily exceeding 100 degrees, we know we have the generation capacity to handle it. To ensure the generation system is prepared for the summer run, PowerSouth goes through an extensive maintenance schedule with their equipment.

For comparison purposes, I would compare their maintenance to the spring tune ups we recommend our members have performed on their HVAC equipment to ensure it is operating as efficiently as possible and to find any potential equipment issues so repairs can be made before the hot weather hits. PowerSouth’s maintenance is just on a much larger scale.

While our power supplier is working to prepare for their “summer run,” I encourage each of you to look at your equipment around your business, farm or home. Are you ready for the summer run? Are your air conditioning units working properly or are there issues that may be just fine when the temperature is 80 degrees outside but a disaster when they get over 90 degrees? Much like a hole in your roof isn’t necessarily a problem until it rains, an inefficient air conditioning unit isn’t a problem until it isn’t working on the hottest day of the year.

I realize that your air conditioner may not be the top thing on your mind at the beginning of March. As I am writing this article, we are experiencing a cold snap, and March could just as easily experience the same cold weather or could have temperatures in the 90-degree range. You never know what you will get with Alabama weather. The reason I encourage everyone to get their HVAC system looked at this time of year is because once the hot weather hits and people start experiencing problems with their air conditioning units, the heating and cooling companies will be swamped with calls, and you could be waiting a while to get help with your system.

In addition, if your equipment is not functioning properly it is going to use more electricity and your bill will be much higher. When I had a unit that needed refrigerant, the unit ran constantly and was not cooling. Not only was my family burning up from the heat, but my unit was also burning up the kilowatthours and causing my bill to increase.

I often get asked why the cooperative would encourage someone to use less electricity since we are in the business to sell electricity. As a

member-owned, not-for-profit, electric cooperative, our mission is to safely provide you with reliable electricity at an economical cost. We don’t want you to spend unnecessary dollars on energy. We even have an energy auditor on staff who can help you when you think you are using too much electricity. She evaluates your hourly energy use and will come to your home to do a walk-through energy audit. Sometimes she finds poor insulation, improperly sized HVAC units, and leaking water heaters, all of which can cause higher energy use. If she does find issues, she also shares information about our loan and rebate programs that are designed to help you with the cost of any upgrades.

We also offer free energy monitoring tools, like MyUsage. com, to help you monitor your daily energy use. You can visit our website to sign up for the free service and get daily alerts. This tool has saved me from huge power bills on several occasions when I noticed a spike in my daily usage and started searching around my home for the culprit.

In closing, I encourage our members to make sure you are ready for the upcoming “summer run” and to take advantage of the services we offer to help keep your energy costs down. The last two years we have seen a lot of moderate summer temperatures, but just in case we have those hot dog days of summer, we want you to be prepared. At Dixie, we are always looking out for you! 

Gary Harrison is President/CEO of Dixie Electric Cooperative, a member-owned electric utility serving more than 25,000 businesses and homes in portions of eight Alabama counties.

KEEP YOUR FAMILY PROTECTED

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME Be sure to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. These potentially life saving devices are important to have in your home, but they are only useful when operating Don't forget to set you clocks ahead one hour properly! Consider setting a reminder for yourself or a designated on Sunday, March 13, for Daylight Saving Time. family member to test these detectors every month to ensure they will work when they are needed most!

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday, March 13, for Daylight Saving Time.

These days, consumers have endless options when it comes to purchasing light bulbs, but the labels can be confusing! Use the information below as a helpful guide for browsing bulbs.

Lighting Facts

Per Bulb

Brightness

Estimated Yearly Energy Cost Based on 3 hrs/day 11c/kWh Cost depends on rates and use

Life Based on 3 hrs/day

Light Appearance

Warm

2700 K

Energy Used 655 lumens

$ 1.08

22.8 years

Cool

9 watts

Source: US Department of Energy

Brightness (in lumens): how much light you can get from a bulb Energy Cost: varies depending on rate and hours used per day Life: the amount of use you can expect to get from a bulb; varies depending on hours used per day Light Appearance (in Kelvins): how warm or cool the light looks to the eye; also known as temperature Energy Used (in watts): refers to the amount of power a bulb uses

Read the label

Under the Energy Labeling Rule, all light bulb manufacturers are required to give consumers key, easy-to-understand information on bulb efficiency. Take advantage of the Lighting Facts label, which gives you the information you need to buy the most energy-efficient bulb to meet your lighting needs. The label includes information on the bulb's brightness, energy cost, life, light appearance, and energy used (wattage).

Save Energy

Bulbs are available in many shapes and sizes to fit your home's needs. Choosing more efficient bulbs can help reduce energy consumption and save you money! • LEDs use 25%-30% of the energy and last eight to 25 times longer than halogen incandescent bulbs. • Consider ENERGY STAR-rated bulbs for maximum energy efficiency.

Light Appearance (Temperature)

name

color

kelvins

uses Warm

Deep Yellow 2700 K For lamps, sconces, bedrooms and living rooms Soft

Light Yellow 3000 K For kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms & chandeliers Cool

Bright White 4100 K For recessed lighting and outdoor fixtures Daylight

Bright Blue 6500 K For hospitals, offices and retail stores

Look for Lumens, not Watts!

• Lumens measure the amount of light produced by the bulb. • Watts measure energy consumption.

Tip: To replace a 100-watt incandescent bulb, look for a bulb that produces about 1,600 lumens. As you can see, LEDs use much less energy (watts) than incandescents.

Incandescent 100 watt 1,600 lumens LED 14-20 watt 1,600 lumens

Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)

What To Do

If You See A Downed Line

Strong storms can potentially bring down tree limbs and power lines. This results in debris and hazardous road conditions. In the event of significant storm damage, keep these tips in mind if you encounter a downed line.

If you see a downed power line: If your vehicle contacts a power line or utility pole:

• Call Dixie or 911 immediately to report it.

• Never drive over downed power lines or anything that is in contact with them.

• Never try to move a downed power line.

• Consider all power lines to be live and dangerous and stay away!

• Downed power lines can energize the ground up to 35 feet away. Even more in wet conditions. • Stay inside your vehicle unless you see fire or smoke. If its safe to do so, stay inside the vehicle and call 911.

If there is fire or smoke: • Attempt to safely jump from the vehicle.

Jump with both your feet together.

• Do not touch the ground and vehicle at the same time as this can result in shock.

• Do not walk, but shuffle away. Avoid lifting your feet from the ground.

11:00 AM Connect With Us Anytime!

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ON MOBILE

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Statement of Nondiscrimination

Dixie Electric Cooperative is the recipient of federal financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Age of Discrimination Act of 1975.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800)877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

| Alabama Snapshots |

Baby farm animals

Sawyer and Papa’s baby Katahdin sheep. SUBMITTED by Hayley Prince, Scottsboro.

Roberta. SUBMITTED by Annette Cobb, Boaz. Kudzu. SUBMITTED by Hannah Wyatt, Highland Home.

Winter grew up to become the Grand Champion Prospect Pig at the National

Peanut Festival in Dothan. SUBMITTED by Alyx Johnson, Woodland.

Lilly loving on her baby silkie chick Gracie.

SUBMITTED by Natasha Lambert, Foley.

Gizmo loves to have his photo taken.

SUBMITTED by Kelly Elrod, Bremen.

Aliya, age 4, loves all of our animals but

Kippy is extra special to her. SUBMITTED by Kelsi Dykes, Evergreen.

April theme: “School Awards Day/Field Day” Deadline to submit: March 31.

Include your social media handle with photo submissions to be featured on our Facebook and Instagram!

Online: alabamaliving.coop Mail: Snapshots P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

SUBMIT to WIN $10!

RULES: Alabama Living will pay $10 for photos that best match our theme of the month. Photos may also be published on our website at alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to have photos returned.

Tulips take over at American Village in Montevallo

This month’s cover on many of our magazines was taken last year during the Festival of Tulips, an annual event at the American Village in Montevallo. Tens of thousands of tulips, including 40 different varieties and blends, were planted in early December 2021 for this year’s floral show.

Of course, forecasting any kind of horticultural activity is a gamble when Mother Nature is in charge; as this issue was going to press, everyone was anxiously awaiting the blooming season. They generally start blooming in mid-February; the festival begins when at least 20 percent of the plants have bloomed and continues as long as the flowers are blooming.

Take a stroll through the field and pick tulips to take home, for $2 each (including flower and bulb). Bring your family, and don’t forget your camera! For the latest updates, follow the American Village page on Facebook or visit AmericanVillage.org.

Find the hidden dingbat!

By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.com

State Archives releases Food for Thought series schedule

The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) has announced its 2022 schedule for the popular lunchtime lecture series, Food for Thought. Lectures are held at 12 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. Programs are presented both in person at the Archives’ building in downtown Montgomery and via the Archives’ Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Among this year’s scheduled programs: March 17, “Leila Seton Wilder Edmundson: ‘Cotton Queen’ and Politician,” presented by John Allison; April 21, “Threads of Evidence: Investigating the Origin of a Confederate Flag Remnant,” by Ryan Blocker and Georgia Ann Hudson; May 19, “The Education of Julia Tutwiler: Training for Leadership,” by Paul M. Pruitt Jr.; and June 16, “The Invisible Histories Project,” by Joshua Burford.

For more information on these and other lectures, visit archives.alabama.gov or call 334-242-4364.

Whereville, AL

Identify and place this Alabama landmark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative. The winner and answer will be announced in the April issue.

Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124.

Please help us! We need our readers to submit some landmarks for us to feature. Look for something unique, interesting and identifiable; if we run your photo, you’ll win $25!

February’s answer: The Wakefield Plantation at Furman, Ala, is a beautiful antebellum home built in a one-ofa-kind Steamboat Gothic style in the 1840s. The nearly 6,000 square feet of living area consists of 12 rooms and 12 fireplaces, and unique porches on all sides. John Gulley started construction of this home around 1840 and depleted his financial resources by the time it was completed seven years later. The construction cost was $12,000. The home – a private residence – will be featured during the annual Wilcox County Historical Association’s Tour of Homes on March 26; see more on Page 25. (Thanks to Rural SW Alabama for the photo and information.) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Chesteen McWhorter of Cullman EC.

Take us along!

We’ve enjoyed seeing photos from our readers on their travels with Alabama Living! Please send us a photo of you with a copy of the magazine on your travels to: mytravels@alabamaliving.coop. Please include your name, hometown and electric cooperative, and the location of your photo and include your social media handle so we can tag you! We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month.

Vanieca Akins and Amy and Marvolene Holloway took their magazine to River Valley Camp Ground in Cherokee, North Carolina. They are members of Tallapoosa River Electric Cooperative.

Jackie Henley of Prattville, a member of Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, carried her magazine on a trip to Crescent Beach, Florida.

Kathy Laney and her mother, Ivonell Sellers of Cullman, traveled to the Petrified Forest in Arizona last summer. They are members of Cullman Electric Cooperative.

Dave and Gerdy Wyatt, members of Baldwin EMC, travel every year to Colorado where they like to visit Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. “There are wonderful trails for hiking and of course the Visitor Center, with displays of many 34 million year-old fossils,” writes Gerdy. “This picture shows a 34 million-year-old petrified redwood tree stump.”

Letters to the editor

E-mail us at: letters@alabamaliving.coop or write us at: Letters to the editor P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

Thankful for article

I want to thank you again for publishing the article about Magic Moments (January 2022)! We have received incredible feedback and have had numerous people reach out wanting to get involved as a result of it. I truly can’t thank you enough for including us!! I have been contacted by people from North Alabama down to Mobile! If I can ever do anything for you, let me know!!

Sandy Naramore, Executive Director, Magic Moments

Trouble in a small town

I cannot speak for Greenville, Monroeville or Butler, Alabama (“Looking for a Third-Float Girl,” Hardy Jackson’s Alabama, February 2022), but a trip south to Mobile was not necessary to find trouble in Thomasville, Alabama. My Great-Aunt Jodie Jackson knew where Lucifer hung out and often warned me to stay away from the corner of West Front Street and Noble Avenue. That was the location of Clay’s Amusement Center, a slick name for the city pool hall. The musical Professor Harold Hill had nothing on Aunt Jodie. Hill was a con man and Jodie was a Southern Baptist. I ventured downtown often while visiting my Aunt, but never entered the Amusement Center. I did stand outside its only door some Saturdays, trying to catch a peek of the Serpent during all the comings and goings, but all I ever saw was men in overalls and spit cups placing silver on the table rails. Clay’s Amusement Center is long closed now and many, many years ago I came to understand what Aunt Jodie meant.

Charlie Runnels, Mentone

State encourages employers to hire more veterans

Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington are encouraging Alabama employers to hire veterans by applying to and participating in the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program, an official program of the U.S. Department of Labor.

The application period runs through April 30, 2022.

These awards are the only federal-level veterans’ employment awards that recognize a company or organization’s commitment to veteran hiring, retention and professional development. In 2021, 37 Alabama companies received the HIRE Vets Medallion Award, and 849 employers were recognized nationally.

The award is based on several criteria, ranging from veteran hiring and retention to providing veteran-specific resources, leadership programming, dedicated human resources and compensation and tuition assistance programs, with requirements varying for large, medium and small employers. There is no application fee.

To learn more, create an account or update an existing account for the HIRE program, visit HireVets.gov or visit one of the 55 Alabama Career Centers.

Going wild in the garden: Why and how to create a wildlife-friendly landscape

Plants that produce berries, nuts, insects, pollen and nectar help feed the birds and butterflies that populate our yards. Those animals are part of the food web and, thus, help connect and sustain the Earth’s circle of life.

By Katie Jackson

Anyone who gardens, or even putters in the yard, knows that the simple act of gardening provides many benefits – fresh air, exercise, stress relief and access to fresh foods to name a few. But they may not realize those simple acts can also help save the world, especially the wild world.

Entomologist and conservationist Doug Tallamy has been exploring and explaining those connections for more than three decades in his job as a University of Delaware professor and researcher. His work, which includes studying issues such as the impact of native versus nonnative plants on interconnected wildlife species (caterpillars and chickadees, for example), led Tallamy to write Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants.

This award-winning book focuses on the whys and hows of gardening for nature and, since its publication in 2007, has made Tallamy a guru in the growing movement toward more nature- and wildlife-friendly gardening. And that movement has never been so important as it is today.

“We are in a global wildlife extinction crisis,” says naturalist and media star David Mizejewski, spokesperson for the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife program and author of the popular how-to book Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife. “More than a million wildlife species worldwide are endangered,” he says. “In the U.S. alone, some 12,000 animal species are experiencing rapid population declines and one-third of all native wildlife species are at an increased risk of extinction in the coming decade.”

Among these species are beloved yard and garden visitors such as birds and butterflies as well native bee species, which play essential roles in crop pollination. These statistics are disturbing not just because they represent the loss of irreplaceable wildlife populations but also their dilemma may be a harbinger for the future of humankind, which also relies on healthy ecosystems. Humans are also connected to nature cognitively, says Michelle Bertelsen, an ecologist with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center in Texas. “We have evolved and learned to think by interacting with the natural world forever and ever and ever,” she says. “That doesn’t stop just because we may live in cities.” And it is a connection many humans have come to appreciate during the past two years of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“People have sought solace in nature during these tough times,” Mizejewski says, and many found it in their own yards, especially at the peak of COVID-19 shutdowns and stay-at-home orders.

While concerns about and connections to nature are increasing, they are also a source of frustration. “Everybody on the planet requires healthy ecosystems,” Tallamy says. But, he addd, when faced with stark statistics about the decline of wildlife and ecosystems “most people feel absolutely powerless. The Earth is huge and what can one person do?”

A lot, agree Tallamy, Mizejewski and Bertelsen, and it all begins in the landscapes that surround us.

“How we choose to manage and care for our own piece of earth is a powerful way to help out these declining populations,” Mizejewski says. “Sure, what we do in our backyards is not going to save polar bears, but it can make a huge difference for the endangered Monarch butterflies and the birds and wild bee species that really need our help.”

“There is a central role that Joe Public can play because Joe Public owns the country,” Tallamy adds, explaining that while public parks, preserves and wilderness areas provide vital habitat for wildlife, they alone cannot save these species. However, on the 78 percent of U.S. land that is privately owned, wildlife-friendly management can have huge impacts on these animals and the overall health of the planet.

That kind of impact can occur anywhere and on any piece of land, from large rural fields to medium-sized suburban yards to tiny urban greenspaces. According to Bertelsen, studies have shown that putting small strips of pollinator habitat between rows or on the edges of agricultural land can greatly benefit pollinators, which in turn benefits the crops. The same can happen in our yards.

“It’s amazing how much impact a small pollinator garden can have,” Bertelsen says. “Even tiny islands (of wildlife-friendly real estate) in cities can help these species out so much. A little bit really does go a long way.” And when numerous people in the same vicinity and eventually across the globe provide wildlife habitats, such as pollinator gardens, the impact grows exponentially.

So what exactly is a wildlife-friendly landscape? According to Tallamy, it’s a landscape that contributes four components to the local ecosystem: it supports a diverse population of pollinators, supports the greater food web, sequesters carbon and protects and manages watersheds. And many of these functions, says Mizejewski, can be accomplished by providing wildlife with four basic needs: food, cover, places to raise young, and water.

Top: Planting with an eye toward wildlife can bring color to any yard, not just through flowers and leaves but also through the stunning array of birds, butterflies and other creatures that come to feed on these plants, such as this goldfinch feasting on the seeds of a purple coneflower.

PHOTO BY KATHY DIAMONTOPOULOS; COURTESY OF AMERICAN MEADOWS

Middle: Plants form the foundation of a wildlifefriendly garden, especially when a diverse selection of densely spaced native plants are used. Every region of the country has plants unique to their local environment, plants that evolved in conjunction with the insects and other animals native to the area. Depending on which plants are chosen, wildlife-friendly gardens can range from formal, manicured gardens to more natural designs, such as this nectar garden, and everything in between.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER

Bottom: Monarch butterflies, one of some 12,000 U.S. wildlife species currently experiencing alarming population declines, benefit greatly from wildlife-friendly gardening practices. By providing Monarchs and other insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals with four basic needs – food, cover, water and a place to raise their young – home gardeners even in big cities can help avert a wildlife extinction crisis. In the process, their landscapes become living, thriving ecosystems that benefit all life on the planet.

“All wildlife, whether they’re in the wilderness or in our gardens, need these things,” Mizejewski says. As they create a food web, they also create an ecosystem that supports all life in the area. “It’s a circle of life thing.”

It just so happens that the primary foundation of any ecosystem is the very thing that makes a garden a garden – plants. But not just any plants.

“The most important thing (about gardening for nature and wildlife) is to pick the right plants,” Mizejewski says, “and those are going to be plants that are native to your region, plants that have co-evolved with wildlife and that wildlife needs to survive.”

Native plants, in fact, can provide three of the four basic circle-oflife needs – food, shelter and nesting/birthing sites. Just add water and you have a wildlife-friendly habitat.

And going wild doesn’t mean that yards and gardens have to look wild. “It’s a common misperception that a wildlife-friendly or natural garden equals a messy garden,” says Mizejewski. “You can have a beautiful, magazine photo-worthy garden space that is also extremely beneficial to wildlife.”

For wildlife species to survive, they must have sources of food, water, cover and a place to raise their young. Provide those four ingredients and you can help support generations of wildlife families, such as this white-eyed vireo feeding its babies.

PHOTO BY DOUG TALLAMY

Small changes, big impacts

By Katie Jackson

When it comes to gardening for nature, big changes come in small packages and work best when approached with baby steps.

That’s the message that ecologist Michelle Bertelsen, naturalist David Mizejewski and entomologist/conservationist Doug Tallamy all try to emphasize whenever they share their passion for nature-friendly gardening, especially when they’re talking to folks who are new to the concept.

“Developing a wildlife-friendly landscape only becomes scary and un-doable if you think you have to do it all by tomorrow,” Tallamy says. Instead, he suggests approaching it with an eye toward one or two of the four components of a healthy ecosystem (supporting pollinators, supporting the food web, sequestering carbon and managing the watershed).

“Look at your property and ask yourself, ‘Which one of these can I do better?’ Almost everyone can do at least one of those better,” he says. “Think of it as an ecological hobby: I’m going to improve the ecological integrity of my property a little bit each year.”

All three experts encourage the idea of starting in a small and specific area of the yard or garden rather than trying to makeover the entire yard. This saves time, money and allows gardeners to learn as they go.

They also all agree that the basis of any nature-minded landscape is the use of native plants, which are suited specifically to local environments. Because these plants evolved with local wildlife species, they will provide almost everything local wildlife needs to thrive.

And once established, native plants can also help lower maintenance demands in the landscape. “There’s no garden in the world that is ‘no maintenance,’” says Bertelsen, “but you shouldn’t have to water and fertilize native plants as much as you do nonnative species.”

It’s also important to plant natives densely and diversely. Filling a space with lots of compatible but different plant species is ideal. “The more plants you have and the bigger the grouping of them, the more likely you’re going to support wildlife,” Mizejewski says.

Reducing the amount of land dedicated to a lawn can open more space for wildlife-friendly native plants and lower lawn care maintenance costs. However, lawns are often happy places for many homeowners, so there’s no need to eliminate lawns entirely. Just replace under-utilized areas of the lawn with native plants.

It’s also important to assess a site’s growing conditions including its soil profile (run a soil test for this), moisture levels (determine if the area is naturally wet, dry or somewhere in between) and lighting conditions (shady or sunny, for example).

“The key to all native gardening is matching the plant to the conditions rather than matching the conditions to the plant,” Bertelsen says. “Really, it’s the same as it would be for any kind of gardening.”

Armed with an understanding of local conditions, gardeners and homeowners can explore the choices of native plant species suited for their sites and find plants that also appeal to their goals and personal styles.

Once gardening for nature becomes second nature, homeowners can expand their efforts across the yard and, quite possibly, become the envy of the neighborhood.

“If you choose the right plants, your yard can look just like your neighbor’s, only yours will be supporting nature and wildlife whereas your neighbor’s yard might not,” Mizejewski says. That’s something to aspire to.

Research conducted at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Texas has shown that a mixture of low-growing native grasses can be used as a substitute for lawn turfs. These native grasses, similar varieties of which exist in every region of the country, require less mowing, watering and fertilizing.