To the Editor:
There are many of us, so many that our yards can no longer be dominated by grass and plants that do not feed us or our local population of insects. Landscaping services that will plant a vegetable garden are growing and why not plant blueberries in your yard instead of a sterile non-native shrub?
(http://sustainablenova.com/vegetable-gardening-in-northern-virginia/).
At a minimum we need less grass and to use plants whose leaves and nectar are food for the insects that are part of the web of life that
sustains us all. So called "native plants" are easy to grow because they are suited to our environment
(https://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/pdf/chesapeakenatives.pdf).
They may look different, be not as showy or have more leaves, but we as gardeners must re-learn to appreciate that these plants are what we should plant and they are beautiful. Our obsession with grass only and perfectly manicured lawns have spurred an entire industry of herbicides, pesticides and mowing and the need for vast quantities of water.
(http://yalebooks.com/book/9780300054019/redesigning-american-lawn).
Let's take care of "Mother Earth" so she can continue to take care of us.
Kay Fowler
Herndon