FLECL is different from most landscaping practices as it takes a systems approach. Pretty much all of the physical & social sciences now realize that looking at things as a system is the most effective way to understand how things work. This is especially important in landscaping if one wants to re-create functional natural landscapes. Most typical landscaping approaches are more like plant zoos, where plants are kept in tight cages (often mulch serves as the bars) & are constantly groomed to create an aesthetic that only functions to please the eyes of individuals who are not comfortable with seeing native plant communities. Color is often demanded, creating unsustainable landscapes that have to constantly be supplemented with imported new plant material, resulting in even higher carbon footprint with the only purpose being to satisfy the eyes of people unable to see beauty in a natural system. As plants are not allowed to reproduce & spread in natural ways, native plants grown in such zoos often die & must be replaced in these zoos. Typically this approach results in gardeners favoring invasive & other non-native species that are only chosen for their ability to be hardy under groomed & caged conditions.

Native plant communities can only effectively re-created using a systems approach as they function as systems. As we can never exactly figure out where these plants want to grow and because they need to be able to move around the landscape as natural environmental environmental conditions fluctuate, FLECLers focus on introducing appropriate plants and in providing necessary conditions for them to form functioning systems. Providing necessary conditions includes identifying & removing all non-native plants as soon as possible. Some native plants that can slow the establishment of natural plant communities may also need to be reduced or eliminated in order to create the conditions conducive for native plant communities to thrive. In addition due to the lack of natural disturbance factors such as fire, it will often be necessary to remove organic buildup in areas where native fire dominated plant communities are desired. Removal of native plants that would also be suppressed in fire dominated communities is also often necessary to maximize native plant community function.

While the above describes optimal conditions for re-creating native plant communities, it is important not to focus on perfection in landscapes that will never be completely natural. Utilizing this systems approach to any extent can create greater ecological function & sustainability than is possible in traditional highly controlled landscapes. This systems approach requires openness to learning & in order for one to sustain such approach it is also important to work within one’s available time & not to let perfectionism to overwhelm the fun of this process!