DIANE'S RESOLUTIONS/GOALS FOR 2007, NUMBER 16:

Re-plant my sideyard with native vegetation, and hopefully get it certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. To get certified, you must provide food, water, cover and places to rear young. They have certified everything from large pieces of land to city-dweller balconies.

I have found a couple of local nurseries that specialize in native vegetation, and that will also help with landscaping, and I've enlisted my brother and a neighbor to help with removing all my overgrown lantanas. Native vegetation is more likely to attract butterflies and birds and is also drought resistant. I may, though, try to find a spot to re-plant the lavender.