There is an element of "relearning" involved in conservation landscaping or naturescaping, as it is sometimes known.  We have been taught to ignore the plants that are native to our area and instead, through gardening magazines and other marketing efforts, we are told that new and exotic plants are the "modern" way.  If your location, due to soil condition, sun exposure, etc. does not support these plants, then the solution is to change the location, bring in new soil, add expensive irrigation, use pesticides, fertilizers, whatever it takes to have these trendy plants.  In addition, we have been taught that we should have a weed free lawn, to decrease biodiversity and to maintain our landscapes through regular cuttings and regular applications of fertilizers and pesticides.  It is interesting to note that some gardening programs typically suggest a chemical solution to every landscape "problem."  This approach only benefits the chemical industry.

As we approach conservation landscaping, we need to purge a lot of the landscape notions we have and be open to new ones, such as choosing plants that go with the location, not applying harsh chemicals to try to match the location to the plant.  We can either continue use old approaches and be part of the problem, or we can choose to be part of the solution and choose natural approaches that result in a beautiful and functioning environment.