Fighting climate change, one yard at a time

Boston Globe

11-06-2025

'There's this feeling of, 'Oh my gosh, this problem is so much bigger than I am,'' said C. Adam Schlosser, senior research scientist and deputy director at the
But Schlosser said he disagrees: It took a collective effort to get here, and it will take one to get us out.
'My answer has always been, every little bit counts,' he said.
Home gardeners can take their clues from what some industry professionals are adopting in the face of climate change, starting by fine-tuning their carbon footprint. Increased atmospheric carbon contributes to climate warming. The garden is full of opportunities to practice carbon-neutrality.
Advertisement
'We obviously have a lot of technologies that are trying to remove carbon from the air, but … the best way of doing that, in terms of nature, is to plant new vegetation,' Schlosser said.
Schlosser said that heat-tolerant varieties will stand up to weather patterns and require less water.
To add a buffer against unpredictable weather extremes, create microclimates in the home landscape, said Ben Falk, a Vermont-based regenerative landscape
A monarch butterfly fed on New England aster.
adobe.com
Conserve water by catching rainfall in a barrel or other container. Soil health is another important consideration, Falk said. Avoid using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides that contain
While Falk said he doesn't characterize his approach as outright resistance to climate change, adapting to it may soften its impact.
'If the wind's blowing, you know, put up your sail,' he said. 'The best responses to climate change also are the most beneficial footprint upon our ecological systems, which could have the best impact on reducing climate change simultaneously.'
Landscaping tools have long relied on gas fuel, but Mark Richardson, executive director of the
Advertisement
Iconic to the suburban landscape are manicured lawns and geometric hedges. But monocultures are more likely to suffer total losses when problems strike.
'The advice that I would give is to expect the unexpected,' Richardson said.
A resilient, biologically diverse garden can mix native and non-native species that overall require less maintenance. Even in tough years when not everything thrives, Richardson said, the garden isn't decimated.
'You're hedging your bet that when you have a diverse garden, some things will make it and other things won't,' he said.
Plants take in carbon, a process known as carbon sequestration, as part of photosynthesis. To encourage even more of this, don't just plant more, but plant diverse gardens full of native species.
'All forms of resilience seem to rely on diversity, and that certainly goes for gardening,' Falk said.
Just as biodiversity improves carbon sequestration, its absence can drive a self-reinforcing cycle: warming climates cause species to struggle, reducing diversity, and ultimately increasing carbon output, said
'The climate crisis cannot be solved without also solving the biodiversity crisis,' Abramson said. 'As we lose more species … we're losing the ability of our landscapes and systems to stabilize the climate.'
Advertisement
Plant diversity can also provide physical resilience, he said. For example, a mixed meadow will be more resilient to flooding or drought than a turfgrass lawn. Seek inspiration from other areas of the state that are used to wet or dry conditions, such as coastal plains or Berkshires grasslands.
And though many ecological changes can be slow to observe, Abramson said if you plant it, pollinators will come. After just three years, his team observed an increase from two to seven insect pollinator species at one of his planting sites.
Red columbine flowered in Norwell.
Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
Essentially, it's a process of ecological restoration. Start by adding a few keystone species — such as aster and goldenrod, which support many types of wildlife — and adding other plants that attract specialists. Shrubs are another often overlooked planting that provide natural bird food and habitat. Abramson said to observe what's there, and add what's missing.
Turning to native plantings doesn't have to mean ripping out your roses.
Native plants don't always have the ostentatious flare of some annuals, but Chieppo urged gardeners to trust the process while shopping.
'When you go to a nursery and you see a bunch of native plants, they're not probably going to be beautiful at the time … because it's nature,' Chieppo said. 'If it doesn't bloom this year, it most certainly will next year.'
Advertisement
In May, the state of Massachusetts launched
Even native plants are sold in plastic pots that end up bound for the landfill. Chieppo
Chieppo said that when it comes to climate resilience, the key is to rethink nature as your partner.
'Ask your landscape what it needs from you, as opposed to, 'What do you want on your landscape?''