A pristine, emerald-green lawn with weed-free flowerbeds comes at a great cost. A classic yard requires time, sweat and financial commitment to maintain, but Baton Rouge landscape firm Swamp Fly is working to change that paradigm.
Born of the “kill your lawn” movement sparked by The Atlantic writer Megan Garber in 2015, Swamp Fly’s three owners—Ahslee Brackeek, Caitlin Robbins and Emily Pontiff—started their business in 2020, working with clients to create spaces that feature native plants and are easier to maintain, requiring fewer pesticides and fertilizers. They argue that their projects are more interesting to look at too. Their client base, which includes both residential gardens, public parks and businesses has spread from Baton Rouge out across south Louisiana.
“Native plants can still have a formal garden feel to them,” Robbins says. “Not everything has to be totally wild looking. The important thing is sustainability.”
Variety, too, is key for the relatively small-scale canvas of a residential patch of ground, though. Robbins describes their eclecticism as intentional and essential. “Understanding bloom colors, how plants will look next to one another, and basically envisioning it all at least a couple years down the line is so important,” she says.
Read the full feature about the business from the latest edition of inRegister magazine.