Gardening Good
When you head to your local garden center next spring, be a tad suspicious of the showiest selections. The majority of these trendy plants are non-native, ornamental species that may not be suitable or ecologically beneficial to your property. If you want to build a self-sustaining, ecologically appropriate landscape that will save you time and money every year, start by selecting native plants and putting them where they belong.
Native plants are local species that have existed naturally in a specific environment before agriculture, urbanization, and other interventions altered the landscape. These plants thrived in the unique conditions present in their habitat, and they support local wildlife—including the pollinators we so desperately need.
However, some plants labeled “native” in garden centers are not always locally native. A plant that is indigenous to Colorado wouldn’t be considered an appropriate choice for a Pennsylvania landscape, even if that Heirloom Coreopsis has a “native” sticker on the container. Yes, it is native, but not to us in the Northeast.
Therefore, careful plant selection is the first step to starting a healthy, self-sustaining landscape. There are approximately 2,100 native plants in Pennsylvania – quite a variety! Species native to us in the Mid-Atlantic, like wood asters, goldenrods, and so many others, are already attuned to our landscapes and will easily take root. The best part is that you might already have some native species hiding on your property. Identifying them with books like Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide can be the first step in crafting a suitable plant list. You can also check your selections by searching them on the USDA’s PLANTS database.
Once you have your native plants, you’re presented with the second dilemma: where to put them? Placing a Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) in a shady, moist site is not going to last very long. It is a myth that some plants “just die.” Plants perish because they were not meant to live in that particular location, whether that means they got too much water, not enough sun, or that the soil had too much clay. Always consider the three prime factors before you sink that spade: water, sunlight, and soil. Try a sunny, dry spot with well-draining soil for your Rudbeckia – it will love you for it!
Clearly, careful plant selection and location scouting is not just gardening—it is restoration. Consulting with local experts and reliable resources will help to inform you where to place your new plants.
Investing in a backyard full of native species will allow for ecosystem processes that cannot be achieved with simple lawn-grass or ornamentals. The native plants themselves will positively alter the landscape as they establish in their proper habitat. Microorganisms in the soil will benefit from the carbon sourced from the plants; the microorganisms will send essential nutrients back to the plant; the plant will feed pollinating insects; pollinating insects and seeds from the plant will feed the birds; and birds will disperse the seed and fertilize with their waste. In other words, we all have the power to catalyze our own backyard habitat restoration for good. And it starts with the right native plants in the right spots.
Navigating native plant selection and planting can feel like a daunting task, but once the landscape is established, it will last a lifetime with little to no intervention. WildLawn is a local ecological landscape design-build company interested in helping you restore your piece of the planet. You can find them @wildlawn on Facebook and Instagram, or at contact@wildlawn.com for help getting started.