What If Your Backyard Could Be a Climate Solution?

Arman Milanian

Sep 29

2 min read

Updated: Oct 1

Most people think of their yard as a place to mow, weed, and maintain. But the land around your home can do much more. The right plants in the right places can build healthy soil, capture rainwater, feed pollinators and wildlife, store carbon, and even grow food for your family.

The hard part is knowing which plants belong where.

That's why we're building SABZI, an ecological plant selection tool from Dandelion Foodscapes. SABZI uses climate and site data to help landowners choose the right plant for the right place, and then buy those plants from local nurseries, so every planting decision does as much good as possible.

The question every client asks

As a landscape designer focused on ecological restoration, I've worked on more than ten properties, and nearly every owner has come to me with the same question: What should I plant, and where?

Clients rely on professionals to answer that. But many landscape architects and designers start from aesthetics, and their plant choices often come from a list they've built over years of practice. Experience matters, but this approach doesn't always fit the land or everything the client wants. It also can't account for goals the client hasn't thought of yet, like growing food, supporting pollinators, or managing stormwater.

We think there's a better way, and we're building it.

How SABZI works

SABZI brings together principles from permaculture and regenerative agriculture. We combined four datasets from permaculture professional sources into one detailed plant database, then paired it with the conditions on your actual property.

It starts with your address. From there, SABZI draws on available data about your site, including:

Various climate data points:

Historical soil data for your area
Average rainfall and water availability
Shade mapping to see how sun and shadow move across your land
Climate factors such as wind exposure and temperature profile

You can also add your own information. If you've had a soil test done, for example, you can enter the results so SABZI can make more precise recommendations.

SABZI then matches plants to your land's growing potential and your personal preferences. You get specific recommendations for plants that will actually thrive where you put them, not just plants that look good in a catalog.

From recommendation to planting

A plant list is only useful if you can act on it. SABZI connects you with local nurseries so you can buy the plants it recommends. That keeps money in your community and gets you plants suited to your region.

Designed for everyone

You don't need a background in ecology or landscape design to use SABZI. It's built to be simple and intuitive, whether you're planning a small backyard garden or restoring several acres. The goal is the same either way: to help you create a landscape that's beautiful, productive, and good for the planet. For more about the app check out SABZI