The Obvious Answer

Being near the water and among nature has long been a huge draw for living on the East End, whether full-time or seasonally. But, all too often, homeowners here push back wildlife and apply chemicals that pollute the bays and estuaries.

Thirsty, fertilizer-addicted and pesticide-laden rolling green lawns are dead zones for beneficial insects, birds, turtles, frogs, salamanders and other creatures, which just adds insult to injury after their habitat was cleared to accommodate the footprint of a house with a pool, driveway and more.

The fact is, not all green spaces are equal. Turf lawns dotted with ornamental trees, shrubs and annual flowers that originated on other continents just don’t contribute to sustaining wildlife populations here.

Bees and butterflies, the epitome of charismatic microfauna, typically come to mind when most people think of beneficial insects, but there are countless species that fall into this category, such as lacewings, which devour a wide range of pests and dragonflies that control mosquito populations. And then there are the more than 100 caterpillar species found in New York that are essential nutrition sources for baby birds. Treated turf is doing these insects no favors.

Suzanne Ruggles, a Westhampton garden designer and naturalist who goes by “the Barefoot Gardener,” joined staff from the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center at Hampton Bays Library on March 8 to promote another way of doing things — a way that allows property owners to enjoy natural beauty while saving the time and expense that comes with maintaining a lawn.

She calls it “ecosystem restoration,” which is an apt name. It involved replacing turf with native meadow grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees that evolved to thrive on the East End and are host plants for native insects and sources of berries for birds struggling in winters.

It was volunteering at the Wildlife Rescue Center that helped Ruggles come around to native landscaping. She witnessed firsthand the suffering habitat destruction and lawn upkeep have meant for animals.

“I started to look into a better way to landscape and do gardening, and native plants is the obvious answer,” she said.

Native plants are really a wondrous thing. They don’t require irrigation all summer long to maintain their vigor like turf grasses do, they don’t need fertilizer because they are suited to the local soil, and they sequester carbon in their own biomass and in the soil. And having a native landscape means no more noisy and polluting lawn mowers, weed whackers and leaf blowers creating disturbances to the whole neighborhood. The switch provides a lifestyle change that homeowners will welcome and wish they had made sooner.

A well-kept lawn has long been considered a status symbol and something of a statement piece. Today, now that we know better, a rolling green lawn sends the wrong message. It would be something to celebrate if the Barefoot Gardener’s sensible message took root locally.