Rooted in our past.
Rooting for our future.
What is “Rooted”?
Rooted Native Landscapes is an ecological landscape design firm based in Skokie, IL.
I specialize in naturalistic foundation plantings, lawn conversions, and client empowerment and education.
I use 100% native-to-our-region species to create aesthetically vibrant and ecologically useful gardens.
Mission
At Rooted Native Gardens, my mission is to connect people to the natural world around them, starting with the landscapes in their own yards. By designing ecologically-minded gardens, I aim to create a legible link between natural areas and my clients’ landscapes so that they can gain an appreciation for the native ecosystem of which we should be more of a part.
I offer an appealing and compassionate alternative to conventional landscaping; unlike “mow-and-blow” firms, my environmentally safe, ecologically helpful, less needy landscapes are beautiful and beneficial for both humans and the ecosystem.
“If a garden is just simply a pretty thing to kind of hang on the wall and look at—for me that’s not enough.” - Larry Weaner
why use native plants?
“What if each American landowner made it a goal to convert half of his or her lawn to productive native plant communities? Even moderate success could collectively restore some semblance of ecosystem function to more than twenty million acres of what is now ecological wasteland.”
-Doug Tallamy in Nature’s Best Hope
Much has been written and said about the merits of native plants, so I’ll keep it brief…
What’s in it for you?
Once established, native plants can grow and survive on their own. They’re used to the conditions of your yard, so you don’t need to put them on “life support” with treatments such as fertilizer, supplemental water, and soil amendments that exotic, non-native plants often require to survive. Consider how the low-maintenance native home landscape compares to to a yard of lawn and annuals…an expensive and tedious investment!
What’s at stake for nature?
Native plants stabilize the natural world around us. When we plant natives in our gardens, insects that have coevolved with these plants for millenia recognize them as a food source. These insects, in turn, provide many services for us, including pollinating, hunting down other, more “bothersome” insects, and also serving as food for birds. In short, native plants create a web of life of which we are a part, and upon which we all depend. If protecting the natural world is a priority for you, please plant natives and create pockets of habitat to help our local ecosystem!
“Our privately owned land and the ecosystems upon it are essential to everyone’s well-being, not just our own.” - Doug Tallamy
About me
Hi there, I’m Ron Schrag and I started Rooted Native Landscapes to help people reconnect with nature. In today’s modern and fast-paced world, many of us don’t spend much time communing with the natural world. Some of us are even nervous to plant stuff in our own garden beds because we’re “bad with plants.” When did we become so estranged from nature? We need nature in our lives; it resets and reregulates us. And nature needs us in these dark days of climate disruption.
I’m excited to demystify gardening for my clients and get them hooked on the world of native plants. I believe that it’s not too hard to keep a beautiful, beneficial garden alive, and it’s certainly a rewarding act of hope and love.
Together, we can bring our region’s rich ecosystems back to life in our very own yards. In addition to sharing with others the pure beauty and wonder of our native flora and fauna, I am excited to educate homeowners about natives and ecological management of their own landscapes.