What does it mean? Most of us don’t have a blank slate and have a yard that already exists to deal with. If you are like me, you can’t afford a landscaper or even a yard service. Sometimes I feel stranded in my yard surrounded by all these things that won’t stop growing. They grow and grow and grow but they aren’t the right things. I would love more native plants and even more dandelions and violets! But instead, I am surrounded by an abundance of ivy, honeysuckle, and day lilies.

Where do you start? That is the question. What should I do to create a more values aligned garden? I know I want to play a small part of saving the bees and the birds, saving water, and fighting climate change.

So, what is the next step? For me I have decided to add more native plants to my garden. But first, I am going to have to remove some of the huge non-native plants battling for resources in my yard. 
Some people call these invasives! My invasives are not small and despite my cutting, weeding, and pulling they are taking over my garden space. Invasives out compete native plants and change the ecosystem by destroying the native plants that provide food for wildlife. This effects the diversity of species and the wildlife in an area.

(https://extension.umd.edu/resource/removing-invasive-plants-and-planting-natives-maryland)

First, I dug up the heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica/ https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2018/)

I know that the berries can be toxic to certain birds.

Next, on to battle with the ever-growing amore honeysuckle shrubs/ trees. ( https://www.invasive.org/alien/pubs/midatlantic/loma.htm )
First I had to learn to use a small chainsaw. After yanking my shoulders out a few times, I figured out how to bite the wood and cut. 
It was very difficult and not advised for the faint of heart. 

But perseverance has its rewards. The first honeysuckle is gone.
And now look at the mess to clean up. Only three more honeysuckles and thousands of ivy strands to go. The struggle continues….