The Back Ten Feet (of any typical property) is a starting point for converting water wasteful, boring, unproductive turf grass yards into drought tolerant, wildlife friendly, interesting and storm protective landscapes. In The Back Ten Feet, we DO NOT use fertilizers, pesticides or any other man-made chemicals or additives, in order to keep our water clean and our yards safe for children, pets, birds and butterflies. We use flowers, shrubs and trees NATIVE to the region where we live, and we purchase those NATIVE plants from LOCAL native nurseries, in order to ensure the plants we buy are grown in our region and come from stock that is NOT treated with harmful pesticides.
In The Back Ten Feet, we learn that by providing a balance in our yards that mimics natural systems, insects and other bugs are kept in check naturally, and that a few plants with leaves that are chewed is nothing to get hysterical about, natives are MEANT to be eaten. In fact, wherever you live, NATIVE shrubs and trees are utilized by native butterflies as larval host plants, and spraying with pesticides puts their species’ very existence at risk. In The Back Ten Feet, we make a commitment to treating other life forms with respect and care, and we enjoy knowing we have company, that we are not alone. The Back Ten Feet landscapes are filled with the songs of birds, humming of native bees and other bugs. Native plants are judged to be beautiful not by the size of their blooms, but how much food, shelter and nesting sites they provide.
And finally, The Back Ten Feet is a starting point for communities to create greenways throughout their neighborhoods, using only about $150 per yard for native plants, free mulch from local tree trimmers, and NO money or labor from their local governments. Imagine if just half the property owners in our communities created back ten feet landscapes in their yards and business sites: cooler, cleaner, living landscapes with minimal work and investment.
Learn more, work less, and enjoy!
Sue Scott
