Free landscaping resources

If you've ever wanted someone to visit your yard and give you some guidance on creating habitat, check out the Nature In My Backyard program! As part of the registration process, you can request a free consultation from trained volunteer gardeners. This is a great resource for folks in the Cleveland area.

Native Garden Planner is an awesome free resource that lets you draw and export a custom native garden design. It can suggest appropriate native plants based on your region, soil/light conditions, and desired plant characteristics.

Looking for some native garden inspiration? Try adapting these free designs to your space. They include only plants native to the eastern United States (though not limited to northeast Ohio). If you're having trouble sourcing a specific plant, we can recommend a substitution.

Plant By Numbers by Denise Ellsworth and the OSU Bee Lab

Pollinator and Rain Garden Design Packet by Sacred Grounds Toledo

Pollinator Garden for Native Specialist Bees by Cornell Botanic Gardens

Wild Ones Garden Designs (stick to cities east of the Rockies)

Native Plants for the Small Yard by Kate Brandes

Bat Garden Guide by Organization for Bat Conservation

Plant By Numbers by the City of Lexington, KY

If you'd like some professional help with your native landscape design, installation, or maintenance, check out our directory here.