Put your garden space to work...for the earth!

We love how hard this gardener worked to make her wonderful outside space earth-friendly.

Ms. Ten Eyck had learned water-saving techniques in the desert—and put them to use with a new palette of Texas native plants, which could tough it out with minimal water (and fussing) in her new clime.

As a homeowner, it's easy to overlook landscaping or to be content with a postage stamp-sized lot of grass. But when you think of the benefits of planting and cultivating native flowers, plants and grasses, it's a wonder more of us don't do it!

Ms. Ten Eyck stuck primarily (but not entirely) to Texas or Southwestern species for her yard, focusing on small trees, shrubs and flowers that need little water. What She Planted: Possumhaw trees (Ilex decidua) show off red berries above striped slender trunks for much of the winter and the purple wisteria-like blossoms of the Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) flamboyantly and fragrantly announce the arrival of spring.

Read the whole article (Wall Street Journal) here.