Resilient Residential
New!
Less Lawn, More Native Plants
Rebate Program
The City is pleased to announce this rebate program, designed to reimburse residents up to $700 to replace portions of their lawn with native plantings.
In this era of weather extremes, and with the dramatic loss of essential birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife, we must embrace change in our interactions with our world. One action each property owner can take to help reduce flooding, reduce air and water pollution, increase groundwater recharge, and provide habitat for threatened wildlife, is to replace some (or all!) of their lawn with native plants.
THE PROGRAM
The Less Lawn, More Native Plants Rebate Program aims to enable homeowners to replace all or part of their lawn with native plants, including any combination of perennials, shrubs, and trees by providing a rebate for qualifying gardens.
THE PROCESS
1. Decide what area(s) of lawn you would like to replace with native plants. Document the dimensions. The rebate will be based on square footage of the new garden(s).
2. Take "before" photos of the area(s) identified in step 1.
3. Design the garden. Decide what native species you want to plant, and how many of each you will need. Do your research! Make sure you are acquiring plants native to our region, and that qualify for the program.
4. Shop and plant. You may use a contractor if you prefer.
5. Take "after" photos of your new native plant area(s).
6. Submit the application below to the City for review and reimbursement. Paper copies of the application are also available at City Hall.
THE FINE PRINT (a.k.a. THE RULES)
Eligible properties must be within the City of Lambertville.
Qualifying projects must replace lawn with a garden of plants native to our region. Projects may be rain gardens, pollinator gardens, meadows, a new hedgerow, tree planting, or other project that meets these qualifications. Funding for such projects is $5.00 per square foot of lawn replaced with a native plant garden. For planting trees, the minimum size is 2-inch caliper or greater and the rebate is $100 per tree. Trees must replace lawn. The maximum rebate is $700 per residence.
No more than 20% of plants installed may be cultivars.
Before and after photos of the site, dimensions of the planted garden, receipts for all completed work, including an itemized list of number and species of each plant, any additional materials such as soil amendments, labor, and total cost. The rebate will not exceed the amount spent and will exclude hardscape, decorative stones, trellises, etc.
Applications will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility, and referred to the Deputy Treasurer for reimbursement.
QUESTIONS?
Email [email protected].
Questions? Comments? Want your garden plan or plant list reviewed? We are here to help.
READY TO APPLY? CLICK HERE.
SUBMITTING THIS APPLICATION IS THE LAST STEP OF THE PROCESS. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT UNTIL YOUR PROJECT IS FINISHED AND ALL REQUIRED COMPONENTS CAN BE UPLOADED.
Native Plants
Native plants are those plant species that evolved in your region without human interaction. In the northeastern US, generally that means plant species that were here before European colonists arrived. Plants from other parts of the world are referred to as “introduced,” “exotic,” or simply “non-native.”
Because they evolved in the local environment, native plants usually need less care (such as fertilizers and pesticides that may harm the environment) than many non-native plants. They usually require less water, too (except for those adapted to growing near water bodies).
No matter how small the space, when you choose a native species of plant instead of a non-native one, that individual action is a step towards supporting healthy local ecosystems and biodiversity. Better yet, when multiple people in a neighborhood or community make those choices, they can combine into thriving "conservation corridors" that support a diversity of vibrant life.
Spotlight on Cultivars: More Cons than Pros
What's a Cultivar?
A cultivar is a plant bred by humans for certain characteristics - such as color, drought resistance, height, or even petal shape. Cultivar is short for a cultivated variety. A true native plant is not a cultivar, because it has been untouched by humans. Cultivars can offer benefits to humans, but native plants are more beneficial for bugs, birds, and animals.
Sometimes the changes are relatively harmless, like a cultivar that limits the height of a shrub or increases drought-tolerance. Other times, a cultivar may be useless or even harmful to wildlife.
Need an example? Take a cultivar bred to change the color of the plant’s leaves. Sounds harmless enough. But changing the leaf color actually alters the chemical composition of the plant tissue, and may make it unpalatable for caterpillars! (Yes, we want to feed caterpillars! Without them, we won’t have butterflies or birds!) An example is Common Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’).
Other cultivars have flowers with more or larger petals than the straight species, but in exchange they offer no nectar or pollen to bees and butterflies. These plants are successful at attracting pollinators but don’t offer them any food, so they actually waste the time and energy of the poor pollinators. An example is Wild or Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea Arborescens ‘Annabelle’).
Looking to Avoid Cultivars?
You can recognize them in a nursey by looking at the name listed on the plant tag. In addition to the common name, which is usually shown in English, all plants are assigned scientific names, which are always in Latin. If the scientific name includes one or more words in English that are enclosed in single quotation marks, it’s a cultivar. For example, New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome') is a cultivar selected for a specific flower color. The straight species would have a tag that reads New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae).
Other tips:
Look for italicized words, and avoid plants with special sounding names that are in single quotation marks. Anything with a trademark or patent is also very likely a cultivar.
Avoid shopping for plants at big-box stores. They mainly deal in special cultivars that are mass-cloned. Now, those cultivars do have some benefits in that they are generally easy to grow or disease resistant, but if you are growing natives, you'll have better luck at a specialized nursery.
Ready for a Cultivar deep dive?
Check out these websites to learn more:
Resources for your Home
Resilient homes are designed to be able to withstand - or quickly recover from - natural disasters, extreme weather, and other kinds of risks. Small changes to your home and property can make a big difference when it comes to resilience.
Verify your home is built in compliance with local building safety codes. The enforcement of modern building codes by your local officials is essential to helping minimize the risks of death, injury and property damage in the event of a disaster.
Check with your local building safety department before beginning home repair or improvement projects. Many building safety departments require permits for home repair or improvement projects, including structural, electrical or plumbing work. Getting a permit will involve an inspection of the work, providing an added safety measure to protect you, your family and your home.
Elevate and anchor utilities & secure outdoor items. Elevate and anchor your critical utilities, including electrical panels, propane tanks, sockets, wiring, appliances, and heating systems to reduce the risk of flood waters damaging them. Secure lawn furniture and any other loose outdoor items that may become windborne and cause injury or damage during high wind events.
Reduce basement flooding risks. Install a water alarm and maintain a working sump pump to protect your basement. Install a battery-operated backup pump in case of power failure.
Consider investing in backup power systems. During outages, these systems offer auxiliary power until the grid comes back online. On normal days, those batteries can store electricity, then draw it back to the grid during peak usage hours when energy is most expensive and "dirty," or reliant on fossil-fuel generation.
Ask a
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Need a bit of expert advice? Ask a Landscape Architect (LA)! Stop by to ask specific questions about your yard. Sessions are first come, first served and, depending on demand, may be limited to 15 minutes.
Held on the third Thursday of each month from 5pm to 7pm at the Lambertville Public Library
Sample topics include:
● The best native plants for your yard ● Habitat gardening structures
● Hardscape options and layout ● Drainage Concerns ● Maximizing a small space
Please bring images of the area you would like to discuss and a notepad. Sessions are first come, first served and, depending on demand, may be limited to 15 minutes. Full landscape design services are not offered through this program. Non-residents are welcome.
The Landscape Architect is usually available the third Thursday of each month from 5pm to 7pm at the Lambertville Public Library, but check Lambertville Goes Wild’s Facebook page to confirm the time and place each month.