With the soil frozen solid and snow from January storms still piled alongside roadways, it may seem counterintuitive to talk about gardening. In reality, it’s the perfect time to plan and seek inspiration to start a new garden – or expand the one you’ve already got.
And of all the 2026 gardening trends circulating, the one I am most excited about is this: normalizing less lawn.
When we embrace the benefits of replacing turf lawn with species native to Pennsylvania – the benefits just give and give and give (both economically and ecologically).
The momentum is on the ecological gardener’s side.
Back in 2002, a Maryland couple sued their Homeowners Association (HOA) after they were forced to remove their eco-friendly native plant garden and replace it with turf lawn. The couple’s landmark victory sent a strong message that people should have the right to landscape with plants native to their region – even if they do exceed three inches tall. Programs like Homegrown National Park, the National Wildlife Federation and Monarch Watch are making it easier than ever to plan nature-friendly gardens.
And this makes so much sense. Turf lawns are largely ecological dead zones that fail to support the pollinators, birds and fireflies we love. Beyond that, many manicured grass lawns rely on harmful chemicals that threaten human and pet health, pollute drinking water, trigger harmful algae blooms that can deoxygenate water to the point of killing fish.
With many important insect, bird and amphibian species’ populations dropping to concerning levels, more and more people are answering the call to bring life back to landscapes by growing plants native to the region instead of obsessing over a perfect lawn.
“As the news about biodiversity continues to get worse, people want to help,” explains Doug Tallamy, professor and bestselling author “Nature’s Best Hope.” “We’ve been saying this all along, you can work on this at home.”
That’s because growing native plants — particularly keystone species that support hundreds of different beneficial moth and butterfly species — creates a vitally important food source for birds and helps strengthen the local food web. Some keystone species include oaks, river birch, black cherry, goldenrods, native asters and black willow.
Side note: If your HOA does not allow native plant gardens, there’s lots of advice on how to navigate that on the Homegrown National Park website.
Several additional benefits of removing part of your lawn and replacing it with biodiversity-boosting native Pennsylvania plants include lower water bills (since native plants require less maintenance once established); money savings on gas, weedkillers and fertilizers; and less local flooding since native gardens have deeper root systems than turf grass and greatly reduce runoff.
According to some estimates, native plant gardens’ rainfall infiltration rates are 85 to 100%, meaning they soak up almost all of the rainfall. This helps reduce the strain on municipal stormwater systems, which could potentially reduce water treatment costs.
So while the ground may be frozen today, the decisions we make now shape what our neighborhoods look like — and function like — for decades to come. What will you plant this spring to make the world a better place?
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