Get Green for Going Green, Local Experts Say

Adding greenery to your yard could mean green in your wallet.

At least that’s the reward one group is giving to residents. But the benefits of native plants go beyond money. They are also proven to prevent flooding, global warming and air pollution.

Native plants refer to those originating within the state, said Rinda West, the owner of Rinda West Landscape Designs. Native can also mean indigenous to America for a more loose definition.

The low-maintenance plants have already adapted to the area’s climate and don’t require water or fertilizer. Plus, West said, the plants add to the region’s biodiversity, bringing food to bugs and birds.

“We are losing biodiversity rapidly, the more we pave streets and grow things like corn and soybeans,” she said. “It supports life in so many ways so when you start to lose more species, you end up with an impoverished ecosystem.”

Residents can also get green for increasing their greenery; the Chicago Sustainable Backyards Program gives a $60 rebate for native plants and up to $100 for trees and shrubs.

The organization, backed by the city, educates residents on planting native gardens as well as composting and rain barrels.

The program touts native gardens’ low maintenance characteristics. After the first season, plants only require watering during dry periods.

In fact, the plants contrast with grass, which is the highest-maintenance yard plant in existence, West said.

Grass doesn’t absorb water as well as the deep roots of native plants, so water runs off into the sewer. And with Chicago being built on wetlands, that runoff contributes to flooding.

In April, when Mother Nature dumped more than 8 inches of rain on Chicago, West said she wished more residents made room for trees and shrubs.

“Especially with these mansions that take up the whole lot, where’s the water going to go?” she said.

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The 27-year Northcenter resident has been designing gardens for the last eight years. First inspired by team teaching with a biology professor at Oakton Community College, West decided to take design and plant classes after teaching English.

“My eyes were going to explode if I read any more freshman essays,” she said.

Now, West focuses on creating anything from rooftop wildflower gardens to basketball courts on patios. Her favorite projects include gardens for children, but for her own garden, and those looking for a more sustainable lifestyle, West recommends native plants.

To plant natives, all residents need to know is how much sunlight and moisture reaches the space.

One thing to avoid, West warns, is invasive species like English Ivy or the Burning Bush, which can destroy native plants. Birds eat the seeds and drop them into native gardens, spreading the plants further than intended.

Read more about native plant rebates or find native plant suppliers on the North Side.