When you think of a beautiful yard, do you picture neatly manicured lawns and colorful garden beds – or a wild sea of grasses and blooms alive with pollinators?
Restoration and landscaping both have important purposes, however, restoration is more thoughtful towards the ecosystem while landscaping typically focuses on aesthetics. When we are restoring, we focus on function and how the plants interact with each other, the soil, the habitat, and all other creatures that live there.
We all have seen a beautifully landscaped yard. Plants are in neat little rows, the grass is deep green and pristine, the edges are sharp, and not a petal is out of place. You typically see non-native hybrid plants that are bred for color, height or uniformity. These plants are chosen for a project based on how well they will look, not based on what they provide wildlife. Since these hybrid plants are not native to our Midwestern habitats, they may struggle to survive long-term. Traditional landscaping can also involve more maintenance: fertilizers, pest control, pruning, etc. While traditional landscaping does have the ability to make your yard look better than the Joneses, your other non-human neighbors (insects, animals, and soil microbes!) are missing out on their native plant counterparts.
Restoration is less about visual perfection, and more about creating a living system. The goal is to create a native plant community that works well together. Restoration projects are beautiful in their own right, however that is not the main goal. Our goal is to choose plants that fit your habitat: your soil, sunlight, weather conditions, and geographic location. This ensures your restoration is successful and ecologically beneficial.
How do we know which plants are the right fit for your habitat? That’s where Presto comes in. Presto is Prairie Restorations ecological tool that generates a list of species suited to your site characteristics. Interested in finding out which natives are best for your project? Try Presto.
Over the past decade or two, homeowners are coming around to the notion that their landscapes can be beautiful and beneficial. Traditional landscapers are adding native plants to their projects now more than ever before. The main principles of landscaping also help enhance restorations: composition, seasonality, texture, form etc. Both landscaping and restoration have importance, and do not live entirely separately. Landscaping still benefits pollinators, and restoration still provides beauty – but they each serve different purposes.
Presto takes the guesswork out of blending beauty and ecology. Presto helps users find ecologically appropriate species that fit their soil, sunlight, and moisture conditions. It also can be used to select for bloom color, height, and seasonal interest.
Three easy steps to Presto:
Presto is here to help you design with nature – making restoration accessible whether your goal is a beautiful native flower bed or a restored prairie that brings life back to the land.
