A Better Yard

We talk with author Mariette Nowak about birdscaping and why native plants outperform typical ornamental landscaping for feeding and sheltering birds. We share practical ways to start small, choose high-value plants for different habitats, and avoid common backyard threats that undo your hard work. • how birds and native plants support each other through pollination, seed dispersal, and insect control • why non-native landscaping can reduce insects and “starve” birds • the ...

Lawns teach us to chase control, but a rebel garden is about building a living system that gets better every season. We walk through a practical, homeowner-friendly roadmap for turning turf into a native plant garden that supports pollinators, songbirds, and healthier soil without getting trapped in analysis paralysis. If you’ve been staring at a blank patch of grass wondering where to start, we’ll help you move from ideas to installation. We start with soil, and why you don’t need to ...

The hardest part of changing your yard isn’t the shovel work, it’s the moment you decide the “perfect lawn” game isn’t worth playing anymore. I’m continuing our three-part series on growing a rebel garden with the second phase: Reject. If you’ve ever felt stuck between keeping 100% turf and going 100% native, I’ll show you the wide, realistic middle ground where a small, intentional garden can shift your whole landscape over time. We dig into the real reasons people don’t start: fear of what...

Your yard doesn’t have to be a weekly chore chart disguised as “curb appeal.” If you’re tired of mowing, watering, fighting weeds, and feeling boxed in by neighbor expectations, I’m sharing a different path: the rebel garden, a small section of lawn converted into a densely planted garden of helpful native plants. Think one or two parking spots of habitat that can feed birds and pollinators, reduce chemical use, soak up stormwater, and store carbon in roots and soil. This is Part 1 of ...

Your yard can look “perfect” and still be a dead zone. I’m Brad Tabke, founder of A Better Yard, and I’m sharing what I keep seeing every spring: one property buzzing with birds and insects, the next one silent under a modern lawn system built around control. Once you notice that contrast, it changes the question from “How do I make this look flawless?” to “What does this space do for life around me?” We walk through our F’s framework for sustainable yard care: eliminate chemicals, feed poll...