Your yard could support a healthier environment. The City of Winston-Salem has expanded the residential allowance for residents who want to create natural landscape areas in their yards.

The approved ordinance took effect Tuesday, March 5. Here are the requirements:

Register your landscape area
Receive a free natural landscape sign to display on the visible edge of your property
Landscape can only contain native and/or pollinator-friendly plants
Turf grass must still be maintained to stay under eight inches
The natural area must be at least five feet from your property line + have a border

Registration is free, but residents must submit a site plan, plant list, and a maintenance plan. Sustainability Director Shaleen Miller said natural yards offer a number of benefits.

“They conserve water, reduce greenhouse gases by reducing the need to mow, encourage bees, birds, and butterflies and in the long run, reduce the time a homeowner spends maintaining a traditional lawn,” Miller said.

Need resources on landscaping? Piedmont Environmental Alliance and Forsyth Cooperative Extension Services offer resources on building a sustainable environment, including gardening tips as you build your natural landscape.