State College’s Native Landscaping Experts
What it is in our words:
Bee Kind Landscapes specializes in native landscaping. Native landscaping is simply using plants that naturally belong to our region. That is, we believe in native landscaping design that primarily uses plants native to our region. In contrast, particularly, to some legacy practices that continue to contribute to our present invasive species problems.
We consider ourselves a reasonable and approachable native landscaping company. We take a commonsense approach and strive to do our best to select natives when possible. We accept that many non-native species are perfectly acceptable choices. For a list of problem invasives, see our invasive control page.
Why it matters:
Provides important habitat for pollinators and backyard wildlife
Requires less watering and maintenance because plants are adapted here
It’s not a sacrifice in aesthetics. Quite the opposite.
How we do it:
Every property is unique, and every yard has its own soil type, sun exposure, and microclimate.
Here’s how we build landscapes that thrive, not just survive:
🌱 Site Analysis & Planning – We assess soil composition, drainage, shade levels, and microclimate factors to ensure the right plant choices for your space. We have distinct valley and mountain microclimates, and what works in one yard might fail in another. What works on Julian Mountain might not fly in Houserville. Is your landscaper tuned into our microclimates? Yeah, didn’t think so.
🌿 Thoughtful Plant Selection – We hand-pick native species that naturally belong here, ensuring they’ll flourish with minimal maintenance. But we’re not rigid purists—if a non-native plant is well-behaved, beneficial, and fits your needs, we’ll consider it. The key is balance.
🌾 Designing for Function & Beauty – A well-designed native landscape isn’t just about sustainability. It’s about stunning, four-season beauty. And also, function. We use a mix of flowering plants, grasses, shrubs, and trees to create a dynamic, ever-changing landscape. We love edible landscaping too, but you probably already figured that out.
🐝 Creating Habitat & Biodiversity – Our landscapes are more than just pretty—they support pollinators, songbirds, and beneficial insects while reducing the spread of invasives.
💧 Water-Wise & Low-Maintenance Landscaping – Because native plants are already adapted to local conditions (changing as they may be), they require less watering, fewer fertilizers, and minimal upkeep compared to traditional landscaping.
🌎 Sustainable, Practical, and Built to Last – We make sure your landscape isn’t just eco-friendly, but also realistic, manageable, and built to withstand the seasons—so you’re not left with a yard that demands constant intervention.
When we’re done, you’ll have a vibrant, resilient, and low-maintenance outdoor space that works with nature, not against it.
Derivatives, styles, and similar concepts. We point these out to help relate to terms that can be unclear, ambiguous, and overlapping in our field.
Wild landscaping, natural landscaping, pollinator gardens, meadows, wildlife habitat landscaping, xeriscaping, regenerative landscaping, etc.
Our humble native planting beginnings
This is where it all began. When we bought our home in Patton Township in 2016, this was a patch of wisteria and daylillies (invasives).
I was becoming more aware of invasives, but I wasn’t yet aware native gardening was “a thing”. Being an avid outdoorsman, conservationist, and kid that grew up playing in the dirt, I wanted to try to bring some of the wilderness that I so love into my yard. I started with jewelweed and ostrich fern, which are two native plants I feel a certain connection with.
I still have my happy little jewelweed and fern patch. Now that I take care of others’, it even gets a bit neglected. And still, it powers on. It’s resilient. It’s adapted. It’s supposed to be here. We’ve even conquered the wisteria together.
Of course, I’ve since learned that purposeful native cultivation is indeed a thing, and my horizons have expanded significantly. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a humble reminder of what I set out to accomplish, and I quite like it. And since we also have abundant mosquitos, the jewelweed is a nice handy remedy to have on hand.
-Joe
Inspired by the Wild
Check out some of our locally inspired themes below, tailored to suit your microclimate and site conditions. Complete designs are all custom.
Rothrock Mountains
A Paddle Down Spring Creek
Scotia Oak Woods
Bald Eagle Meadows
Moshannon Northwoods
Please do not remove wild plants. Only under permitted salvage conditions and professional guidance should wild plant propogation be undertaken. It is illegal to dig plants from land you do not own.
Pink Landyslipper - PA Native Orchid, Rothrock Inspiration
Yellow Trout Lily, PA Native Violet, Spring Creek Inspiration
Mayapple, PA Native Large Ephemeral, Scotia Inspiration
Close up of orange jewelweed flower. Succently, imatien family. Adapted to dappled shade. Native to PA, annual, but very easy to propogate. Beneficial plant useful for itching skin.
Monarch buttefly caterpillar. The caterpillar phase shows up in the State College area in late summer.
Great Spangled Fritillary on a Milkweed Plant, Scotia Insporation. Pollinator meadows and forest buffers.
White Trillium, a wild favorite. Difficult to cultivate. We dig the wild character. Please never take wild specimens. Deer overpopulation is a major challenge to localize trillium populations.
Wild Blueberry, Northwoods Inspiration. Blueberry are pretty easy to grow in our climate if you can get the soil conditions dialed in. They make a functional replacement for invasive hedges, if you can get to the berries before the birds.
Pennsylvania Native Eastern Redbud. You'll notice wild plants compared to domesticated nursery native stock tends to have more chaotic, less refined forms.