How to assess your site?

Before planting, take time to really observe your space, how the sun moves, where water flows, what the soil feels like, and how the land is already growing. These small details reveal what your landscape needs and help guide decisions that support healthy, resilient gardens.

How to choose a kit?

At Adapt, we offer garden kits with about 3–4 species each, carefully selected to thrive in a variety of conditions. To get the best results, it helps to understand your site’s sunlight and soil—matching the right kit to the right spot ensures your plants will grow strong and healthy.

Sunlight

Sunlight is one of the most important factors in how a garden grows. Understanding how much light your space receives—and how it changes through the seasons—helps you choose plants that will thrive and stay resilient.

Soil

Soil plays a big role in which native plants will thrive in your space. How does your soil handle water? Does it drain quickly and dry out after a rain? Or does it hold moisture and stay damp?

Sandy soils drain fast and are best suited for plants that tolerate dry conditions. Clay soils hold water longer and support species that can handle consistent moisture. Loamy soils fall somewhere in between.

When we match native plants to your soil’s natural drainage and moisture patterns, gardens establish more easily, require less maintenance, and grow into resilient habitat over time. If you’d like to delve deeper into soil, contin

What is soil?

Soil is the living skin of the earth. It’s a mixture of minerals, organic matter, air, water, and countless organisms working together to support plant life.

To plant native species successfully, it helps to understand your soil’s texture — the relationship between sand, silt, and clay. These particles determine how your soil holds water, drains, compacts, and carries nutrients. When you understand this balance, you can better support the plant communities you’re working to restore.

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Prepare Your Site

Before planting your garden kit, it’s important to prepare the site well. A little care upfront makes a big difference in how your plants establish and thrive. There are lots’s of ways to go about removing the invasive plants or sod and we have videos to help walk you through some of the practices we have found to be most effective. Check out our youtube playlist about Site Preparation. And a quick guide and some costs and benefits of various sod removal methods.

Method	Best For	Speed	Physical Effort	Cost	Pros	Cons
Manual Sod Cutter	Medium–large lawn areas	Fast	Medium–High	$$ (rental)	Quickly removes turf, allows immediate planting	Requires equipment rental and sod disposal
Spade Cutting (Tiles)	Small areas or precise work	Slow	High	$	No special tools, very precise, low cost	Labor intensive and slow for large spaces
Herbicide Treatment	Large areas or tough invasive plants	Medium	Low	$	Required for some plants, minimal soil disturbance	Chemical use, requires time for plants to die
Sheet Mulching	Areas where time is flexible	Slow	Low	$–$$	Builds soil, no digging, simple materials	Takes months, aggressive plants may return

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List of Adapt Garden Requirements

Be Public-Facing
Visible and welcoming to the broader community (front yards, schools, public spaces, libraries, parks, neighborhood gathering areas). Not single-use private backyards.

Have Around 50 Square Feet Available
Approximately 50 sq ft or more of open, plantable space.

Be Cleared of Invasives & Weeds
The area should be prepared ahead of time and free of invasive species and heavy weed growth. We’re happy to offer guidance on how to prep.

Have Known Sun Conditions
A basic understanding of whether the site is full sun, part sun, or shade.

Have a Committed Steward
Someone willing to water during establishment and provide simple ongoing care.

Garden Layout

We put this section in both the planning and planting phase. You can design before or on the spot, but it is wise to have a sense of where things are going and why. Play have fun. Get creative. Make something beautiful out there!

SPACING

Space your plant plugs about 12–18 inches apart. 12 inches “on center” means from the center of one plant to the center of the next.

AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS

When laying out a garden with 3–4 plant species, think about the shapes, heights, and colors you want to highlight. Place taller species toward the back (or center, if the garden is viewed from all sides) so shorter plants remain visible—your viewing angle matters. Arrange your chosen species in repeating patterns or gentle drifts to create a cohesive look.

SAMPLE DESIGNS FOR GARDEN KITS