Reply to Help me understand the importance of native plants

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I understand the biodiversity and habitat arguments. I really do.

I also don't [i]want[/i] a yard full of bees, and I don't care for the look of native gardens. I want a place for my kids to play and I like to grow vegetables. I am in a constant battle against my neighbors' ivy and creeper, which a yard full of native plants would just make it harder to keep in check.

So I get it ... but I don't do it. [/quote]

Then you don't actually understand the arguments.  A loss of bees and other pollinators would be catastrophic for everyone.  Where do you think your food comes from?  LOTS of food crops rely on pollinators, and the entire ecosystem relies on the food chain of insects and birds.  You don't do it because it's not pretty and you don't like bees.  You don't get it at all.  [/quote]

Do you only plant "native" vegetables too?[/quote]
That’s kind of a red herring in that when people decide to have a vegetable garden, they’re not usually displacing a lot of habitat, whereas the people who like their big, sterile monoculture lawns make the decision to have only plants like petunias and begonias similar. Things that offer absolutely zero nutrition or habitat to native birds, bees and other insects. And what’s more they argue about this, that it doesn’t matter that there’s no habitat, that it doesn’t matter that we’ve lost 70% of our birds, that none of this matters and no actions anyone takes will have an effect.

Also, in my experience, your average vegetable gardener is usually happy to plant native flowers in their yard since they understand that we’re part of a big web. Or at least not to ignorantly argue that there’s no value to it.[/quote]

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