India, May 24 -- even by replacing just 10 percent of our lawns with diverse plant gardens, we can boost biodiversity, maintain insects, and provide medicinal plants for our pets. We may even use these gardens to grow medicinal plants for human use, which would help curb the overharvesting of some medicinal plants in the wild, and recreate the natural pharmacies that traditional healers rely on.

These gardens reduce the need for watering, and the insects that they attract can take over the role of pesticides. By adding the right species, we can scare away mosquitoes (try catnip!). Meanwhile, our dogs and cats may find antiparasitic and calming plants in these gardens. Diverse flower gardens support native pollinators and honey bees, and ...