Sustainable landscape & Gardening
Sustainable Landscaping & Gardening
Healthy shorelines are key to keeping Twin Lakes clean and thriving. Therefore, maintaining or planting as much native vegetation as possible, right up to the water's edge, is especially important for absorbing runoff, stabilizing soil, and filtering pollutants before they reach the water.
The easiest and most effective way to protect native vegetation is to minimize disturbance during construction. However, following disturbance, there are many different ways to restore the ecological benefits that native vegetation provides.
Choose Native Plants in Designing Cultivated Gardens
For homeowners who enjoy ornamental gardening, native plants offer a perfect blend of beauty and sustainability. Native flowers, shrubs, and groundcovers thrive in the local climate, require less maintenance, and support pollinators. Whether designing a formal garden, wildflower patch, or perennial border, the following native plant guides for Pennsylvania and Twin Lakes can help you find the best native plant choices to ensures long-term resilience and ecological balance while adding seasonal color and texture to the landscape.
The PA DCNR Landscaping with Native Plants page provides extensive resources on native plants, including planting plans suited for various conditions.
PA Audubon Planting Plans – Provides native planting designs that attract birds and pollinators.
Nursery & Plant Sourcing - Looking for native trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials to support biodiversity and sustainable landscaping? Here are trusted nurseries and plant suppliers specializing in Mid-Atlantic and Pennsylvania native plants.
2. Minimize Lawn Areas
Compared to native landscapes, turf grass lawns have little value and create many negative impacts on the ecosystem. Their shallow roots are inefficient in absorbing stormwater runoff; they provide almost no food and habitat for pollinators and wildlife; and, to thrive, they often require harmful pesticides and fertilizers that can end up in our lakes. In addition, lawns attract geese, whose droppings are not only nutrient dense, contributing to lake eutrophication, but also contain several harmful microorganisms that can make people and pets sick. Replacing even a small portion of your lawn with native plants and trees can have tremendous environmental benefits.
The image below compares the root system of turf grass to the root systems of various native plants.
When it comes to increasing beneficial value, every little bit of lawn conversion counts. Consider adding a strip of wildflowers along your lawn's edges or breaking up larger areas with pollinator gardens and tree islands. If you are concerned about a messy appearance of wildflower areas, consider edging the transition between your lawn and natural gardens with wood or stone to create a more structured feel. Choosing low-mow or no-mow grass varieties can also help in conserving resources while maintaining a functional and attractive yard. Choosing low-mow or no-mow grass varieties can also help in conserving resources while maintaining a functional and attractive yard. To find out what some of these other options are, please visit: American Meadows: Lawn Alternatives.
Learn more about lawn to meadow conversion:
PA DCNR Lawn to Habitat Program – Offers assistance with financing and information to help homeowners transition to sustainable landscaping practices.
PSU Sheet Mulching Tutorial – A step-by-step video guide on converting lawns into garden beds using sustainable, chemical-free methods.
Xerces Society Pollinator Meadow Guide – Detailed instructions on establishing pollinator meadows from seed to create thriving wildflower habitats.
Penn State Extension offers a guide on converting lawns into wildlife-friendly meadows and prairies. This resource explains how replacing turfgrass with native vegetation can create a refuge for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife while reducing maintenance and environmental impact.
3. Manage stormwater with Green Infrastructure
In a natural setting, most of the water from precipitation infiltrates into the ground, where it gets taken up by trees and plants, percolates through the soil to recharge groundwater, or eventually seeps into nearby water bodies. In contrast, hard, impermeable surfaces found in developed areas prevent this infiltration and cause stormwater to flow overland where it picks up pollutants, sediment and excess nutrients. All of these components can significantly deteriorate the quality of the receiving water body: excess sediment and pollutants are harmful to aquatic life; nutrients fuel algal blooms.
When homeowners notice ponding, flooding or erosion in the form of gullies on their properties, stormwater best management practices (BMPs) aimed at slowing the rate, reducing the volume, and improving the quality of the runoff should be implemented. These BMPs can consist of one or many components such as rain gardens, infiltration berms, vegetated swales, permeable pavers, and rain barrels.
Several factors will determine which solution may work for your specific setting: the proximity to foundations, depth to bedrock, soil type and percolation rate, the slope of your land, or how much space is available for a particular technique.
The Soak Up The Rain initiative summarizes practical, DIY, eco-friendly solutions for managing stormwater runoff. While this guide was specifically designed for New Hampshire residents, the techniques are applicable in any location where excess stormwater does not infiltrate into the ground. The Pike County Conservation District provides another guide homeowners can follow to implement these solutions.
In addition to following the steps outlined in either guide to determine what is the best solution for you, please consult local and state regulations before implementing any major stormwater management project that may significantly change drainage on your property. Please visit Penn State’s Stormwater Basics page to learn more about anything pertaining to stormwater management.