Rochester is the Flower City (or Flour City, depending on who — or when — you ask). But how many of our flowers are meant to be here? Native landscapers, who prioritize local biodiversity rather than just gardening aesthetics, suggest we lean toward plants native to our area when picking flowers this spring.
A plant doesn’t have to originate upstate for it to benefit Rochester’s environment. For Patty Love of Barefoot Permaculture, the key is simply choosing plants that do no harm, meaning they won’t out-compete native plants or become invasive.
“Native plants support all forms of life. They’re more adapted to our climate, temperature, and seasons,” Love said. “Those plants will be more likely to be healthier, grow faster and easier to care for.”
Love, who has worked in the landscaping space locally for almost 20 years, started by studying permaculture, an approach to sustainable agriculture rooted in indigenous insights. Love explains that the key elements of permaculture — earth care, people care, and future care — can be applied to any design system. She uses it as a guide to help her clients create gardens that meet not only their vision, but also the needs of insects, other plants and fungi.
Since Love started consulting in the early 2010s, she has seen a jump in both interest in and availability of native plants in the Rochester area. Much of that interest stems from community efforts like Healthy Yards Monroe County and Color Your Community Green. Though both are part of the broader Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, each group creates specific campaigns and gardens tailored to its community’s needs.
When Peter Messner, former president of Messner Flooring (and current WXXI board member), saw the Town of Pittsford’s efforts toward native planting, he recognized an opportunity. The company’s Pittsford location was due for a garden refresh and Messner liked the idea of trying something new. Native plants could both contribute to the community’s ecosystem and help the building’s exterior reflect the mission of the business.
Messner Flooring prides itself on offering unique products — something that sets it apart from big box stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s.
“The garden is along those same lines,” Messner said. “It’s something a little different, something you don’t see a lot of in commercial spaces.”
Messner doesn’t see native landscaping as a fad, but rather a movement rooted in the desire to contribute to one’s community. When searching for a landscaper, he wanted someone who was both knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about native plantings. Mike Cauwels of RocNative Landscaping fit the bill.
Cauwels, a Penfield native whose fervor for gardening and helping the environment is evident even through a quick conversation, returned to Rochester after living around the country, including Hawaii, California and North Carolina. Beyond family ties, upstate New York offered something else: a climate where sustainable landscaping can thrive.
The Rochester area has a wide variety of native trees — something many cities in the United States lack. The cooler climate also supports plants that can’t thrive elsewhere, like the city’s beloved lilacs. Though not native to the region, lilacs are “naturalized,” meaning they provide essential food and shelter for wildlife.
Providing nutrients and habitat for other living things is at the heart of native landscaping.
“Planting a native plant is a really simple way to make a big impact on our environment,” Cauwels said. “For the cycle to work, for animals to thrive, you need the plants.”
Milkweed, for example, is a plant that has been in the region long enough to form an essential connection with local wildlife. Monarch butterflies rely on milkweed as a host plant where they lay their eggs. Birds, in turn, rely on caterpillars to feed their young and the cycle continues.
To figure out which native plant to add to a garden, Cauwels suggested working backwards. First, think about what animals you want to attract. Then, consider the shapes and colors of plants. If you’re hoping to spot hummingbirds, red, bell-shaped flowers are a good place to start. If you’d prefer to avoid pesticides, choose plants with flat flowers, which attract predatory insects that naturally keep pests in check.
A native garden doesn’t necessarily have to be a messy garden. Many native plants are easy to maintain and can still look tidy and intentional. With a thoughtful mix of species, any gardener can have something blooming throughout the growing season.
“You don’t need a sprawling native garden to make an impact,” said Cauwels. “If you swap out a few bushes or simply plant a single oak tree, that will make a huge difference.”
Sydney Burrows is a Rochester-based digital strategist, dancer and writer focused on amplifying the stories of passionate changemakers across the region.
