Book now for shrub pruning in March! And spring cleanups in April!
We’re Hiring! Looking for a side gig? Email us your resume!
Sustainable Native Gardens
Eco-Friendly Maintenance
Our Mission
At Wild Spaces by Becky LLC we believe in designing yards to function in harmony with nature and create thriving spaces for local flora and fauna to find sanctuary. We believe your yard should be a place for you to exist in, not just something static to look at.
We take a holistic approach to our installations and maintenance, and forgo equipment that would introduce harmful chemicals into your space and impact the integrity of your soil. With 30+ years of training in the arts, Becky designs each garden with a painterly touch to create balance, texture, and color that will elevate your garden. And with 17+ years in the horticultural industry, she has honed her gardening into a science.
A natural garden offers many services such as filtering pollution, reducing erosion, increasing oxygen, regulating temperature, increasing energy efficiency of your home, saves money on maintenance, provides safe spaces for wildlife (birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals) to find food and cover while moving from place to place, and gives you your own personal oasis to relax and enjoy.
At Wild Spaces by Becky, we strive to craft your garden into a space that serves you and the environment.
“We may not be able to immediately make changes in what happens on public lands, but we do have control over what we do in our own yards. Even small spaces can make a big impact.” -Becky
A Look at a Wild Spaces Garden
How a Sustainable Garden is Different
A sustainable garden is one that is planted for the long term. It is a garden that will take shape over time. Commercial landscaping uses exotic annuals that grow larger faster, but they don’t last. We use native perennials that last for years, if not a lifetime, so they grow a little different. I have seen many plants that grow to size pretty quickly, like the garden above, but some plants will do most of their growing for the first season underground. They will be establishing strong roots that reach deeper into the ground so that they can feed and water themselves without your help. Many times smaller plants are used, like plugs, which may have your garden looking not as full at first. However, they will adapt to your soil more quickly and actually grow faster after establishing.
Installing a garden in a sustainable way means that we aren’t going to till your soil to prepare it for planting. Beneath the surface, your soil has spent a lot of time arranging itself into layers, and the microbes and fungi within it have worked hard to build corridors for air and water and nutrients to be available to your plants, and disturbing that would cause more harm than good. So we prepare beds by smothering them with layers of carboard paper and mulch. These will get rid of grass and help improve the soil conditions further. We also source as many recycled/reused materials as we can and try to create spaces within the garden to reuse garden debris, when possible. This cuts down on costs and pollution.
We choose the plants for your yard based on the soil you have. We look at whether the soil is sandy, clay, or loam and the pH and nutrients present. Every soil type has plants that thrive in it. By choosing the right plants, your garden will grow healthier and need less help from you to thrive.
Sustainable gardening is about building a garden that can take care of itself and the environment.
What people are saying…
“This is exactly what I wanted. I’m so excited that my property looks like its part of the natural landscape!” – Gerry, Atlantic Highlands
“You DID go above and beyond!” – Lorraine, Mays Landing
“This is more beautiful than I could have imagined! I cant stop looking at it.” – Gina, Point Pleasant Beach
“I hate roundup. I am so glad to find someone who cares about keeping the environment safer.” -Dave, Toms River
“The flowers look amazing. I cant believe how big they’ve gotten and how much color I am getting in my garden!” -Anthony, Neptune
“I can’t recommend Becky enough. She is knowledgeable and FUN to work with. Started working with her about two years ago and she has done so much for my gardens. She’s creating a new garden for me this spring and I can’t wait (plus natural weed control and hedge trimming). Becky is an absolute gem!” -Pat, Forked River
About Us
Becky Hope Polenberg, has an AS in Environmental Science, worked for the State of New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry and The Nature Conservancy, and volunteers for a variety of local eco groups and community gardens, including a co-leader position with The Native Plant Society of NJ. She is also certified in Garden Design and Maintenance and is an active member of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association.
Read more about why Wild Spaces was created…
What we’re up to…
You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook @wildspacesbybeckyllc
Copyright Wild Spaces By Becky – All rights reserved
Wild Spaces By Becky LLC 