From Seedlings to Habitat

[JBtheExplorer]

Since there's not much going on out in my native garden right now, I thought I'd share some photos of the seedlings I'm growing indoors. I throw most of my seeds right out in the garden in early Winter, but I start some indoors for various reasons. Some I use to fill in bare spots that I see in May and June, others will be going in my pond area and replacing the non-native plants I have to rip out. I'm also growing a few for relatives.

With each seedling photo, I'm also sharing a photo of what they'll look like when in bloom. Most of those photos were taken out in nature last Summer, with the exception of Orange Milkweed, which I already grow in my gardens.


Purple Prairie Clover. I started a few of these last year as well. I learned quick that they're a popular snack for rabbits, so I'll be making sure to cage these off this year!

Wild Lupine. I saw Wild Lupine on a trail last year and wanted it ever since. Only time will tell to see how they do in my soil, but it's well worth trying!

Smooth Oxeye. These have been near the top of my list for about three years. They resemble native sunflowers, but in my opinion have a better flower color and nicer foliage. They also stay shorter, so they're a better fit for smaller gardens.

Orange Milkweed. My favorite plant. I found one growing in a prairie four or five years ago and looked it up as soon as I got home. When I saw something that bright orange out in the prairie I thought it must be non-native and possibly invasive, and when I learned it was a type of milkweed, I knew I needed to find a way to get it! Not two weeks later, I found seed packets at a local garden center and made sure to buy one! I have about 12 plants in my yard, and hope to double or triple that number this year!

Along with those, I'm also growing more Purple Coneflowers, more Gaillardia, Bush's Coneflower, Great Blue Lobelia, and a few others.

Are you adding native plants to your own gardens this year?

 

[LovesBigFool]

I would definitely be interest in native plants in my garden.

It sounds like it might be tough to get started though. How do you start? Where do you start? I am thinking there would be so very much to learn. Where could one start learning about my own area?

 

[Nancy]

Fun! Thank you for sharing you pictures and knowledge! That milkweed is gorgeous. And it will feed the endangered Monarch butterflies.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I would definitely be interest in native plants in my garden.

It sounds like it might be tough to get started though. How do you start? Where do you start? I am thinking there would be so very much to learn. Where could one start learning about my own area?

It's not tough at all! It's easy to find information on native plants and easier to grow native species than non-natives.

I'd say the best place to start is on Prairie Moon's website. Whether you want to buy from them or not, they've got a great website for learning about US natives. They'll tell you most of what you'll want to know or need to know. They have a huge list of native plants, and when you click a plant, it has a description as well as all the basic information you'd need. The best part (for me, at least) is that each plant has a map that shows what States it's native to. (Dark green means it's native to that State, Light green means it's native to that exact County). So if you see plants you like, you can easily check to see if they're native to your area. They don't necessarily need to be native to your area to grow well, but I personally try to keep at least 85% of my plants native to my exact county.




If you start with seeds, it's important to know most US native seeds need to sit through a Winter before they'll sprout, so if you don't want to wait until next Winter, you'll have to buy plants.


I'd say the next step is figuring out how you want to use them. If you already have a garden that you're set with and just want to add natives to it, that's a great way to start! Native plants will grow just fine in any garden style.

I personally chose to go with a prairie-style garden, where all plants grow together. No large spacings and no perfect plant placements. I prefer it that way for many reasons. When they grow close to each other, they outcompete most weeds. It also acts more like a true habitat that helps shelter insects and amphibians the way a real prairie would.



The last thing I would suggest is to always be sure to grow the true species. Stay away from hybrids whenever you can. In some cases, they're so altered that they don't benefit any native wildlife. Echinacea is known for that. They've really done a lot to alter what was already perfect. It's always best to stick with the real deal, the version that nature created.


If you're not exactly sure what plants to start with, I'd highly recommend looking up plants like Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias incarnata, Coreopsis Lanceolata, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, and Heliopsis Helianthoides. You may also want to look up Gaillardia aristata or Gaillardia pulchella, which is surprisingly not on Prairie Moon's website. It's a great plant for pollinators.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Fun! Thank you for sharing you pictures and knowledge! That milkweed is gorgeous. And it will feed the endangered Monarch butterflies.

Yes, the Monarchs love it! Even had a Hummingbird attracted to them last year!

 

[Becky]

Looking good @JBtheExplorer The Wild Lupine is beautiful, I'm looking forward to seeing some photos later in the year.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Looking good @JBtheExplorer The Wild Lupine is beautiful, I'm looking forward to seeing some photos later in the year.

I'll have plenty of photos to share!
Unfortunately, most of these won't bloom until next year, but I'll have plenty other native plants blooming for the first time this year, so it'll be fun to share them all as the garden progresses!