How Do Native Plants Elevate Philadelphia Outdoor Living?
How Can Native Plants Elevate Your Philadelphia Outdoor Living Space?
If you are wondering how native plants can elevate your backyard, the answer is simple: they turn a static lawn into a vibrant, low-maintenance ecosystem that actively invites you outside. When you combine the natural beauty of Pennsylvania native species with a thoughtfully designed outdoor living area, you create a space that family and guests will want to enjoy in every season.
At Union Landscape Design, we know that the most successful landscapes blend functional entertaining areas with interactive, living gardens. Here is how we bring that vision to life on the Main Line.
The Perfect Transition: Entertaining on a Bluestone Patio
Every great outdoor space needs an anchor. A natural bluestone patio serves as an awesome, seamless transition between the comfort of your home and the wild beauty of your landscape.
Bluestone is a classic Philadelphia hardscaping choice that beautifully complements the historic and modern architecture of the Main Line. More importantly, a well-designed patio acts as a magnet. It physically draws guests out of the house, providing a dedicated space to dine, relax, and socialize outdoors. When you surround this gathering space with lush, carefully selected plantings, your landscape design is off to a great start.
Creating Magic with Native Wildlife
Once your bluestone patio has drawn everyone outside, the plants take center stage. While formal, imported shrubs look nice, they don't offer much in the way of life. Kids—and let’s be honest, adults too—recognize how incredibly cool it is to see a hummingbird hovering at a flower or a Monarch butterfly landing right next to where you are sitting.
By surrounding your outdoor living spaces with Pennsylvania native plants, you are doing more than just decorating; you are supporting the local ecosystem. Native plants are adapted to our climate, meaning they require less water and less maintenance. In return, they provide a reliable, beautiful habitat for local birds and pollinators, turning your backyard into a living, breathing experience.
Swallowtail Butterfly on Jeana Phlox
The Joy of Edible Landscaping
To truly elevate your outdoor living space, we love to take the interactive element a step further by incorporating edible landscaping. There is a unique joy in being able to forage right in your own backyard.
Kids absolutely recognize how cool it is to have fresh fruit that they can pick and eat directly from the branch. Instead of standard foundation plantings, we love to weave edible plants into your native garden beds, such as:
Blueberries: These bushes pull double duty, offering delicate spring flowers, delicious summer fruit, and stunning red foliage in the fall.
Raspberries and Blackberries: Trained neatly along a sunny fence or trellis near the patio, these brambles provide a sweet treat for guests to pick while they mingle.
Blueberries are a native shrub with gorgeous flowers, fruit, and fall color.
Ready to Transform Your Main Line Landscape?
Creating a lush, low-maintenance landscape that includes native species and edible plants is such a fun way to make your outdoor spaces come alive. When you anchor that space with a gorgeous bluestone patio, you are creating a landscape that kids and adults can enjoy year-round.
If you are ready to design a backyard that invites nature in and draws your guests out, the team at Union Landscape Design is here to help.
Contact us today to schedule your consultation, and let’s start planning your perfect outdoor retreat.
Explore our Pricing Packages to see real examples and find the right starting point for your project.
— Union Landscape Design
