YORK, Pa. — Tony Campisi and his family started Campisi Property Service in 2009. Since then, he’s made it his mission to bring sustainability into his business.
“We blend conventional landscaping and sustainable landscaping, and the reason why we do that is because in order to make a difference we must be able to find a solution or a part to play for everybody," Campisi told FOX43. “I think the future of conservation is landscaping.”
Some of these solutions include planting native plants, adding pollinator gardens and managing storm water runoff. And he’s not just adding in native plants, but he’s removing the harmful, non-native plants as well.
“We’ve pulled off the English ivy on all the trees around here, but it has the capability, as you can see behind, if you could, it has the capability of doing serious harm," he explained. "It chokes the tree. It covers all of the ground and displaces all of the wildlife and really nothing can live in it, so it’s really the worst."
Campisi says some of this work can be done by homeowners themselves looking to start transitioning their landscape.
“If you have a relatively sterile place, a lawn and some flower beds, most people can DIY that," Campisi said. "You pull out the shrubs and plants that maybe you don’t want and you replace that with natives that fit the site conditions.”
But if you have a bigger space with an overwhelming amount of non-native plants, calling in the experts is your best bet.
Some of Campisi's favorite things to add to someone's yard include oak trees and goldenrod.
If you’re looking to purchase more native options for your yard, a good first place to go is your local nursery," he suggested. "Check to see what options they have, and if they don’t have many, advocate for what you’re looking for.
“Call your nursery, call your local landscape distributor, ask if they have it and if they don’t, ask them why. Because it is something that’s going to be more and more desired as the industry grows and becomes more prolific and more influential in the landscaping world.”
Campisi says making the transition to adding more native plants and eco-friendly solutions at home is something anyone can do.