Habitat Restoration
Restore
Probably our favorite part of garden stewardship — restoring ecological balance and protecting wildlife, from patio planters to riparian buffers.
This is probably our most favorite part of garden stewardship: restoring habitat within the construct of your property and garden spaces, however big or small their scope. From patio planters to wildflower meadows, and woodlands to riparian buffers, we aim to restore ecological balance and protect wildlife in residential, park and commercial settings.
- Meadow planting, or “editing” of existing meadows for more biodiversity
- Integrated pest management (IPM)
- Invasive species removal without glyphosate or any other harmful pesticide
- Specialized gardens for specific species-support goals — more pine trees for more sawfly larvae for satiated bluebirds, showy flowering “nectar bars” and pollinator gardens that support all life stages, and of course firefly havens
- Riparian buffers and rain gardens, to protect waterways, reduce erosion and manage stormwater
- “No-mow” lawn alternatives, replacing turfgrass with native sedge and bee-loving groundcovers
- Lawn rewilding into meadow and forest
- A “leave it be” mulching approach, for the myriad lifeforms and life stages essential to ecological balance and a sustainable garden
On invasive species, and why we never spray
It is one of our utmost priorities as organic garden stewards to address these “invaders” without causing more harm. Many take a regenerative approach to invasives and — supposedly — apply herbicides sparingly. We never do.
If you prefer to use these awful chemicals to eradicate unwanted plants, we ask that for our own health you let us know, so we can avoid contact with those areas. If you prefer this invasive approach to eradicating invasives, RiverGirl Gardens is not the garden company for the job.
We seek health-conscious, environmentally supportive, long-term solutions to the monocultures of invasive species, which is not about instant gratification. Hand-pulling — ideally before the plants go to seed — grazing goats, and sheet-mulching are how we address the plant “thugs”.
Our rates reflect the sustainability of a small, independently owned business that prioritizes the well-being of its employees, and we offer a sliding scale — see our rates and sliding scale.