Wild Ones Prairie Edge Chapter produced an excellent overview of how to install and maintain a native plants garden in pdf format.
Wild Ones members offer their perspectives:
Backyard Gardening for Nature by Michelle Kalantari (PDF)
Improving the Environment One Rain Garden at a Time
Many of the gardening practices we learned to take care of our yards and gardens are different from the best practices recommended for native gardens. For example, we are encouraged to give up the practice of raking our leaves in the fall and spring and to hold off on cutting the plants down until April or May. This article explains this in more detail: