Chester Springs, PA

On a suburban property disturbed by new home construction, the owners sought a landscape that looked as though it occurred naturally. Indigenous plants, locally sourced stone, and a created stream evoke scenes of nearby natural areas, and as a measure of project success, visitors often assume the stream is original to the site.

Study site for Burghardt, Tallamy, and Shriver, “Impact of Native Plants on Bird and Butterfly Diversity in Suburban Landscapes,” Conservation Biology, 2008, vol. 23, no. 1.