Abstract:
Through various economic booms and mass migration as well as deliberate introduction of ornamental plants, suburban neighborhoods are known for their "cookie-cutter" landscapes and high standards of garden grooming. Recently, there has been increased interest in the health of such strict landscaping to the yards, the living creatures in each, and the neighborhood ecosystem overall. This thesis begins with a discussion of the difference between native and invasive plants, what their involvement means to a region, and what it takes increase the health of an average family's backyard through methods suggested in Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy. Finally, this thesis personally addresses methods to a healthier suburban backyard through extraction of invasives and how minimal changes have a positive impact on the neighborhood ecosystem.
