Setting Goals for Your Natural Landscaping

Before embarking on any endeavor, it is important to know what your goals are. It is especially important to resolve any conflicting goals that one might have, and in cooperatively living with a spouse, roommate, or family members, it is important that agreement on goals be reached.
Following is a list of reasons that you might give to support having or NOT having a natural landscape. You can the importance of each one on a scale, or simply designate them as important or not important in order to help you work out your landscaping goals.
(Email me if you want me to send you a Word document with a table of these items)
-Recreate an accurate slice of a native ecosystem to preserve species and ecosystem interaction patterns
-Include native plants to preserve species
-Include native plants for lowered maintenance
-Include native plants for water conservation
-Include native plants for aesthetic reasons
-Keep plants given to me by others or that have sentimental value even if not native
-Remove all natives to make sure my garden is not a source of invasive plants
-Reduce level of chemical use
-Reduce level of energy use
-Reduce level of pollution
-Reduce level of water use
-Reduce amount of water that flows away from property
-Reduce waste of resources
-Reduce impact on landfills
-Reduce creation of noise pollution
-Reduce dependence on petrochemical fuels
-Grow garden produce or other crops for food, decoration or other hobbies
-Grow cut flowers
-Teach kids to enjoy nature
-Teach kids specific details about ecosystems or another aspect of nature
-Teach kids mechanics and process of gardening
-Create a place that attracts garden visitors
-Create a place that educates the public about an aspect of natural landscaping
-Preserve heirloom varieties created by human cultivation
-Create a garden consistent with the historic style of your home
-Preserve or recreate historic aspects of your landscape
-Awe garden visitors
-Get published in a garden magazine or newspaper or gain other forms of public recognition
-Active enjoyment of garden work as a long term hobby
-Presenting an attractive view to the neighbors
-Presenting an attractive view to the street
-Tidy organized look
-Cottage garden look with abundant variety
-Conform to the landscaping norm of your neighborhood
-Provide privacy/screening from neighbors or undesirable views
-An expression of self/personality
-An expression of philosophy/religious views
-To create spaces so that my family can spend more time outdoors
-Low maintenance levels
-Create pretty gardens to look at from house
-Create pretty gardens to look at from outdoors
-Provide spaces outdoors for family to relax
-Provide spaces outdoors for family to dine and cook
-Provide spaces outdoors for entertaining small groups
-Provide spaces outdoors for entertaining large groups
-Provide spaces for active outdoor recreation
-Provide peaceful soothing spaces
-Provide secret private hideaways
-Provide space for gathering around fire
-Provide adventure or themed or imaginative gardens for children
-Limit size of lawn to minimize mowing/for other environmental reasons
-Attract birds
-Attract butterflies
-Attract wildlife
-Discourage wildlife
-Limit money spent on landscaping