The North Texas Conservancy

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we can get creative when reimagining our lawns! :)

Late winter/early spring is a good time to find mantis' egg cases and, if they belong to the invasive, non-native mantidae, we suggest you remove them. Young mantidae make good bird food, and most of young ones don't make it into adulthood. Mantidae also offer good pest management. But, especially if you have a already fragile butterfly population, it might be a good idea to keep the number of these impressive and fascinating predators low.

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All elements, whether alive, broken or dead, have a purpose in nature. Dead flower heads are filled with seed for birds, and an old stump might be home to butterfly larvae. Please limit the clean up in your yard to invasives, and let wildlife take care of the rest. It will save you time and money and you will be doing the environment a service. www.healthyyards.org

Red Creeping Thyme: The Beautiful Pink Lawn You Never Have to Mow, Water or W**d This zero-maintenance lawn also repels mosquitoes and feeds the bees! Lawns are becoming less and less popular these days. Besides being high-maintenance, they are terrible for the environment. The mono-crop grasses require lots of watering, fertilizing and “herbiciding.” With mounting water sho...

In a healthy, natural yard, 'pests' will be kept in check by predators. To prevent mice and rats around your house, limit access to food and close holes and entry points to your home. Whatever you do, avoid the use of rodenticides. Rodenticides harm not just the pest, but also the animals that help us to manage the pest, which will, eventually, lead to more pest problems. www.healthyyards.org

And THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing post like these and those from other organizations about the value of leaves! Mainstream media is finally catching on; reporting about the issues of gasoline operated leaf blowers and the need for more natural, quieter fall landscapes. Please keep sharing information about leaves and healthy yards, there is still so much to learn! www.healthyyards.org

The Climate Crisis is asking us to reconsider how we have been doing things. One of the easiest and most rewarding changes we can make is switching from our polluting and energy using conventional landscape practices to a more natural approach in our yards. The rewards? healthier air, soil and water and restoration of our incredible important biodiversity. It is quieter and saves money as well. www.healthyyards.org

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Since it is almost Halloween; on this Thoughtful Thursday, we wanted to share some ways you can put your pumpkin excitement to good use!

Every year, more pumpkins are grown for decorations rather than for eating! This year, help out your native wildlife and chop up your jack-o'-lanterns to give your backyard wildlife something to munch on! Deer, raccoons, squirrels, birds, and more will enjoy these tasty treats! Even butterflies will stop by for a bite to eat.
Now that Fall is here, wildlife will find it harder to find food sources, this is a way you can help them get ahead of Winter.

Pumpkins make for rich soil additions to compost piles. Add your cut up pumpkin to your compost for next seasons veggies!

Re-use your pumpkin to make some delicious human treats! We found some yummy ideas here: https://brightly.eco/pumpkin-recipes/

Owls Could Kill Over 1000 Mice a Year Each if We Stopped Killing Them With Rodenticide In one of man’s most counterproductive efforts, we are killing the predators of our pests. Owls are nature’s best rodent control, here’s how to make them feel at home in your yard. Owls can serve as all-natural pest control for American farmers and homeowners alike, if we welcome them onto our...