Landscaping for the Home Garden

Learn how to create an environmentally friendly home landscape, select the right plants for the right place, and how to take care of it all. 

Landscape planning for sustainability

• Landscape Planning
• Landscape Designs With Native Plants
• Bay-Wise Program
• Riparian Buffers (planting by streams and wetlands)
• Woodland Stewardship

Plant selection

• Native Plants
• Pollinator Gardens
• Groundcovers
• Plants for Mixed Privacy Screens
• Ornamental and Native Grasses
• Lawn Alternatives

Landscape management

• Landscape Management Basics
• How to Attract and Support Wildlife
• Landscape Actions for a Cleaner Chesapeake Bay
  • (PDF) #1 Try Pesticide Alternatives
  • (PDF) #2 Use Fertilizers Responsibly
  • (PDF) #3 Control Soil Erosion and Rainwater Runoff
  • (PDF) #4 Try Composting
  • (PDF) #5 Conserve Water
  • (PDF) #6 Plant Cover Crops
  • (PDF) #7 Attract Pollinators to Your Garden 
  • (PDF) Backyard Actions for a Cleaner Chesapeake Bay 
• IPM - Prevent, Identify, and Manage Plant Problems
• Stormwater Management & Rain Gardens