IT’S NOT NEWS that more and more gardeners are trying their hand at landscaping with native plants in recent years—often by converting a piece of lawn to something more diverse as a first step. But how’s it going?

An environmental nonprofit headquartered in the Western U.S. fielded a survey recently of native plant gardeners to find out from them what worked and what didn’t – and what they wished they’d known before they got started, and more.

The Gardening for Nature Survey report, prepared by the Institute for Applied Ecology in collaboration with Design Native Northwest landscape design company, is just out, and one of its authors is my guest today.

I talked with Tom Kaye, the founder and chief scientist of the Institute for Applied Ecology,

about some of the takeaways from the recent Gardening for Nature Survey. He is an associate professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State, and his research and policy work focus on endangered species conservation, habitat restoration, pollination biology, and responding to global change.

Our conversation ranged from practicalities, like how sheet mulching atop cardboard was the favored method of lawn-smothering preparation for a new native planting, to how gardeners are observing climate change’s stressors even on native plants.

Read along as you listen to the Nov. 9, 2026 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

the gardening for nature survey, with tom kaye

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Margaret Roach: Welcome, Tom. I’m so glad you’re here today, and thanks for alerting me to the survey results.

Tom Kaye: Thanks for having me, Margaret. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Margaret: Yes. So to get us started, maybe very briefly tell us what the Institute for Applied Ecology, what it does, and then also what motivated you and your colleague, Peter Katon at Design Native Northwest Landscape Design Company, to do this survey? What got you going?

Tom: Yeah, sure. So the Institute for Applied Ecology is a nonprofit organization and we’re located in Corvallis, Ore., and Santa Fe, N.M. And our mission is to conserve native species and habitats. And we do that through research and restoration on the ground, producing plant materials and education. This particular survey was an effort to extend some of the conservation work we do in wild lands into the more urban environment, suburban and urban, so that we can see the benefits of habitat conservation added to a sort of wider portfolio, if you will, of habitats in which we can work, as well as improve the effectiveness of home gardeners who are doing native plantings and naturescaping, as it’s sometimes called, to help the wildlife in their areas.

So we really wanted to help that community become better at what they do by asking them, listening to them, about what works, what doesn’t, why they do it, what motivates them, what are they seeing, what are the tools they use, etc., so that we can share that back with them and with anybody new who might be wanting to do native plant gardening so they can get at it faster and have more success.

Margaret: And so how did you reach people? Where did you find this sort of community of people to survey? Was it through native plant societies and things like that?

Tom: Yeah, that’s a great question. So we did circulate this survey through native plant societies, particularly in Oregon and California, where we had partners that we could get the word out to through their email lists and that kind of thing. We also worked through Facebook groups on native plant gardening or just on gardening throughout the country where we could find them and sign up. And we worked with Master Gardener groups and a variety of places where we could just get an in and someone would circulate the survey.

And the result was over 1,200 people responded to the survey. So really kind of an enormous outcome. I expected something around 500 maybe [laughter], and we got quite a bit more than that. And so when you get that volume of answers, it really improves the averages of these responses so that we feel like these results are reliable and applicable to home gardeners.

Margaret: Right. So there were lots of different takeaways, from methods of preparation before planting to the anticipated impacts of climate change, lots of different things that people responded about, and we can talk about some of those. But were there any that stood out for you like the real surprises or that are your headline item or whatever? [Laughter.]

Tom: Well, I’ll hold off on the biggest surprise, but some of the things that we learned that were in some ways confirmation was the best way to convert your lawn to native plant habitat is to use sheet mulching—like layers of cardboard covered in mulch or wood chips [photo above]. People really affirmed that method.

But on the other hand, the biggest surprise for me was the level of heart and soul that goes into native plant gardening for nature. And that was affirming and rewarding to hear, because that is what keeps people engaged in their garden in the long term. So if there are going to be impacts on wildlife and habitat from native plant gardening, it will be sustained. So that was in some ways the biggest eye-opener. And we can get into some more details of that, too.

Margaret: Yeah. And speaking of impact on pollinators and wildlife and so forth, I think one of the takeaways was that often results, changes in who visited among the wildlife community, who visited these gardens that people were making were seen within the first year. Was that the case?

Tom: Yeah, that’s right. So one of the biggest motivations people shared with us for creating native plant gardens was to support pollinators and birds and other wildlife. But pollinators was a huge result; over 90 percent of the people did it for that. And when we asked how soon after you started your garden did you start seeing these animals come into your garden, the answer was within a year was most of them. And within three years, practically everybody had seen pollinators, birds, wildlife. A lot of people saw bats and things like that. So things they really wanted to support were coming into their gardens, and it was almost instant gratification. [Above, a varied thrush in Oregon at a bird bath in winter.]

Margaret: And these were not habitat-restoration projects on giant parcels, multi-acre parcels, generally speaking. Weren’t a lot of these urban and suburban, around single-family dwellings and so forth—weren’t these home gardens, so to speak?

Tom: Exactly right. We asked specifically what kind of size of yard or property you were working in, and the vast majority of people were between say a thousand square feet to a quarter-acre lot. Some people a little larger lot; some people were even working in pots. But it was all scales people were working at, and the reward was across the board.

Margaret: Right. So that’s pretty impressive that they were seeing that. And one of the things I hear about a lot when I do either a “New York Times” column or a podcast episode and so forth for my newsletter group, if it touches on native plants, and especially when it’s in the front yard is: What will the neighbors think? [Laughter.] And there’s a lot of heated discussion about all of that and we’ve all heard it about HOAs and “I’m not allowed to do this” and “I’m not allowed to do that” and “My neighbors hated this.” What about that? Did that come up? Was that one of the questions?

Tom: Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. The best part of this in some ways is that gardening for nature in your yard is contagious. Your neighbors often remark upon it, and some scowl, but the widest majority have a positive reaction to people who are these native plant gardeners.

And yes, there can be conflicts with say a homeowner’s association, or perhaps even guidance or laws in community or state around fire protection around homes, keeping vegetation clear around homes. And I think we can do native plantings that are compatible with that. But the HOA thing is a challenge for some people where their HOA says you can’t do this. And so they’re pushing back, and some people are managing to change the rules in their HOAs, because many native plant gardens are quite beautiful and quite attractive and desirable. So their neighbors want that, too, and that sways the homeowners association rules.

Margaret: So people reported generally positive feedback from neighbors. As you say, it was contagious. That was more the experience then. Good, that’s good.

Tom: Yeah, I would say even more than generally positive. A large majority said that when people stopped and commented, their responses were positive to very positive. So this is not a thing where most people just think it looks kind of ratty and ugly. Most people like it, and sometimes their opinion about it shifts when they know what it is or why it is. So sometimes we had people say, “Well, I put up a little sign that says this is what I’m doing,” and that altered the kind of comments they received, to the point where people went home and started doing it themselves.

Margaret: Yes. And that’s something that I think National Wildlife Federation has long recommended and other organizations like that have said, “Tell people what it is, be clear about it, put out that sign” and so forth.

Tom: That’s right. And there are a number of organizations who provide backyard habitat certification that comes with a sign that you can put up. And that’s a great way to do it, because it looks then more like you are doing something official that’s sanctioned, that is well thought out.

Margaret: Yeah. So what else? I mean, there’s so many challenges now, and I mean, it’s hard. As a longtime gardener, I say every year, I’m like, I don’t recognize this place even though I’ve been here for decades. I don’t recognize what’s going on. I don’t recognize the sequence of events, the plants that are thriving versus the ones that aren’t seem to be almost opposite in some cases from what they were even five to 10 years ago. So that was covered, I think; some of the impacts of climate change were covered in some of your questioning.

Tom: Yeah. So we sent this survey out with 20 questions, and those questions didn’t touch directly on climate change. But as we were getting responses, I realized that this was a dimension of native plant gardening that we couldn’t leave out. So we sent a supplemental survey to those folks who took the survey and gave us their email address and got back quite a lot of information about how people are engaging with and noticing and worrying or triumphing around climate change in their garden.

So that really ran the gamut. One of our questions, the first question was essentially: Are you noticing any changes in your garden because of climate change? And a lot of people said that they feel that climate change will affect the plants in their garden, or the way the garden supports pollinators and wildlife. And in fact, 87 percent of people who do native plant gardening have this concern that climate change is going to affect how they do things.

And then we also asked, “Have any of you noticed native plants in your garden struggling or dying from what you believe to be climate change-related causes?” And 35 percent said yes. Another 35 percent said no. And 30 percent said they weren’t sure, so the people in between.

And this is exactly what you would expect, I think, when climate change is creeping up on us slowly and it’s going to affect some species more than others. It’s going to affect some regions more than others, and it’s going to trigger observation by some people more than others. Some people are more keen observers or sensitive to it. And also in some cases, plants die in the garden. It has nothing to do with climate change. There’s other reasons plants die in the garden [laughter], I’m sadly, very experienced with.

Margaret: I’ve never killed a plant. I can’t believe you’ve killed a plant, Tom. How did that happen? [Laughter.]

Tom: How did it happen? There’s diseases, there’s neglect, there’s weeds, there’s all kinds of things that happen. But the fact that we’re seeing 35 percent of the people who took the survey say, “Yes, I’m seeing plants struggling that I think are from climate-related causes.” That’s pretty substantial.

And they’re naming names. They’re saying, “These are species I’m seeing decline.” Lots of conifers; in the Pacific Northwest, this was the loudest signal. The most mentions were of Western redcedar in gardens dying, and that’s an iconic tree of the Pacific Northwest, and it’s dying out in certain regions. And it’s not just gardeners who have noticed it, professional restoration ecologists and land managers are noticing this, too. So this is a result that’s very consistent with general observation.

Margaret: Right. Well, like in the East, we hear a lot about research about is there going to be sugar maple? Is there going to be a sugaring season? Those types of things that have been synonymous throughout history with large, large, large areas of land, are they going to continue to be happening or not? So not just some precious little garden plant that will or won’t like-

Tom:  [Laughter.] Right, it’s the whole biome, the forest.

Margaret: …a drought or something. You know what I mean? And then of course we have the advantage that climate change seems to be giving in terms of range expansion or whatever to some of the pests of some of these plants. It just seems like we’re each encountering new opponents as well that, “Oh, that didn’t used to come farther north than Pennsylvania, but now it’s in New Jersey and now it’s in New York and now it’s in…” Do you know what I mean? It’s that sort of creep.

Tom: Yeah. Plants and other animals are migrating in response to this shifting world they’re living in.

Margaret: Yes, yes.

Tom: But of course, the first thing we notice usually is the death of certain species. To quote some people who took the survey, here’s a quote, “Quaking Aspen and birches have died.” “Deer ferns don’t seem to grow.” “Many snowberries are compromised.”

And then there’s on the other hand, “But many plants are also flourishing.”

So climate change isn’t a one-size-fit-all effect. There are some species that can improve their growth when things warm up or they’re released from the competition of the things that are doing poorly and they can tolerate the heat. But other species die out, especially when trees die out, people take notice. They’re big, they have a large function in our yards or in our world around us. They might be part of our economy, and when they die out, boy, we take notice. And when Douglas fir in Oregon is showing signs of dying out in certain areas [photo below], people notice that is the silvicultural driver of our logging industry and our state tree [laughter]. So we see that right away.

Margaret: Yeah. No, I get it. I get it.

Tom: Yeah.

Margaret: So on other responses to the survey, were there other… I love that everybody agrees about sheet mulching because I think that is a great tactic. Were there other things that they wish they’d known or where they’d come up short or anything like that?

Tom: Yeah. We did ask gardeners in hindsight, what do you wish you’d known? What do you wish you’d done differently? And the big signals around that were people wish they had realized how big plants were going to get sometimes [laughter]. And I’m guilty, too; you just don’t think that this little plant you’re putting in the ground is really going to get 10 feet wide and crowd things out. And so that’s the ongoing joy and pruning we all have in our gardens.

But also others said, “I wish I’d dealt with some of the weeds earlier. I wish I had knocked back some of the weeds that have come in. If I’d done a more thorough job at the outset, that would’ve benefited me.” “I wish I had put in pathways because I like to be in my garden. I like to wander around and touch things and see things and observe.” And little paths are how we get in there and get in between the plants and enjoy that space.

So I think a lot of people start out with, “I just want to fill it up with plants,” and leaving these places for us to enter the garden and our guests is important.

Margaret: Yeah. Oh, it is. Oh, it really is. And I think that is one of those, unfortunately, usually hindsight things is like, “Ooh, that’s a great view over in that direction. I’d love a path that drew me over there.” You know what I mean? But we don’t think of it beforehand.

Tom: That’s right.

Margaret: Yeah. You see it in the distance and you’re like, “How do I get there? I guess I should have made a path.”

Tom: Hindsight’s 20/20. And another part of what we heard is that people enter this space of doing native plant gardening from different angles, and then they change, and I don’t know if the word is mature through the process or have a shift in their perspective of how it is for them.

But many people start with, “I’m going to install the garden and then I will have a native plant garden grow.” And they evolve into realizing this is a process: “I’m going to install it and then I’m going to change something. Something’s going to die. I’m going to move a plant. I’m going to tend to this part of the garden differently. I’m going to move these plants out of the way and add a path.” So it’s not a one-and-done process for many people.

Margaret: No, at all.

Tom:  It is the process actually. It’s gardening, not garden. So that is a natural journey that I think all of us who garden and have native plant gardens are on.

Margaret: Yeah. Anything other sort of aha’s that you received from the community that responded that you want to just tick off for us?

Tom: Sure. In terms of climate change, people see their gardens as places where they can conduct some assisted migration, in the sense of moving maybe the same species that grows in their area, but from a hotter, drier place so that that genotype, that genetic form, might have higher heat and climate-change resilience.

There’s a lot of openness to that in this survey. We asked about that in particular and something like, let’s see, 83 percent of the respondents said that they’re moderately to extremely interested in using plants from hotter or drier geographic locations in their gardens, and that’s both the same species or new species. And what this is doing is it’s challenging our very definition of what is a native plant, because we all who are these native plant gardeners are kind of ecologists and we view native as species that are locally adapted to our place. It is a very place-based approach.

But what happens when the climate changes and local isn’t local anymore. That forces us to reconsider what it means to be a native plant. It might be a plant that thrives in our current climate, but is native to an adjacent area; that might be a stretch we can make. It’s probably not, well, any old weed that’ll grow at this time. Most of us aren’t interested in that.

Margaret: No.

Tom: But there is an openness to expand our geography to our, to put it in scientific parlance, our future climate analogs, those places on the landscape that represent our tomorrow climate today.

Margaret: Yeah. Well, Tom Kaye from the Institute for Applied Ecology, I was glad you alerted me, as I said at the beginning, to the survey and the results. I hope I’ll speak to you again soon. Thank you so much for the work you’re doing.

Tom: Thank you so much for having me, Margaret. I really appreciate the time and the opportunity to be with your listeners.

(All photos courtesy of the survey from the Institute for Applied Ecology; used with permission.)

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MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 17th year in March 2026. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Nov. 9, 2026 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).