A true green thumb

For the gardener, it's one of those common sense ideas: native plants are suited to survive local climates. Climate change and other environmental concerns make going native even more enticing. Native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees tend to survive the vagaries of local weather - from droughts to deluges - better than those adapted to foreign climes. That often means less time spent laboring in the garden, and more time enjoying it. And native plants aren't just weedy wildflowers and common shrubs, either. Finicky landscapers can find swap native varieties for many ornamentals. With gardening season finally dawning in much of the country, there's a renewed push to go native.