JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
Native gardening and habitat restoration is becoming more and more common. I'm seeing it everywhere. People want to use their yards to restore a piece of habitat that helps connect wildlife to larger local habitats. Getting started on it can be confusing, but it's easier than it appears. I can't stress it enough, I knew nothing about gardening or plants when I started mine.
So what's the best way to get started?
In my opinion, the best thing you can do before creating your native garden is to go visit and learn about your local habitats and restorations. You'll want to emulate much of what you see locally. Find habitats that resemble the kind of conditions that exist in your own yard. See what types of native species are found in those habitats and make them a priority for your garden. Do additional research to find what species are rare in your area. You may want to add a few "endangered" or "special concern" species (I specifically grow Sisyrinchium angustifolium because it's rare in my state). Visit those local habitats in Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Every few weeks, new plants will bloom and you'll have a greater understanding of what you can grow. Winter will help you see things differently. You'll see the seed heads standing tall that birds will feed from. You'll see rotted logs that were previously hidden under plant growth. Logs shelter amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates.
I'd also recommend finding out which local watershed you're in. My state has dozens. See which kind of species are in the same watershed as you, and again, try to find habitats within that watershed that have similar conditions to that of your yard. If you're dry and sunny, visit a dry and sunny prairie remnant or restoration. If your yard has wetland-like conditions, visit a local wetland or wet-prairie. If your yard has different conditions in different areas, adjust accordingly. You may get to plant prairie in one area and use woodland species in another.
My yard mostly resembles dry to average prairie conditions, but appears to have historically been near or in wetland habitat before farming changed the landscape. Because of that, my garden is influenced mostly by prairie habitat, but it also contains some wetland and woodland influences in appropriate areas. The photos below are some of the local habitats that helped to influence my native garden.
While my native garden is not an exact replica of these local habitats, it does contain many of the same species found in local areas, with a little artistic license implemented to use some North American species that are not native to my watershed but benefit native wildlife, as well as to make my garden a little more colorful. All in all, most species are exactly what I'd find locally, and I continue to adjust and improve it every year to make it more resemble local habitat. 2018 will be the year I add my first native grass specie to my garden. Little Bluestem may be the grass of choice, but that's another subject for another day.
So what's the best way to get started?
In my opinion, the best thing you can do before creating your native garden is to go visit and learn about your local habitats and restorations. You'll want to emulate much of what you see locally. Find habitats that resemble the kind of conditions that exist in your own yard. See what types of native species are found in those habitats and make them a priority for your garden. Do additional research to find what species are rare in your area. You may want to add a few "endangered" or "special concern" species (I specifically grow Sisyrinchium angustifolium because it's rare in my state). Visit those local habitats in Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Every few weeks, new plants will bloom and you'll have a greater understanding of what you can grow. Winter will help you see things differently. You'll see the seed heads standing tall that birds will feed from. You'll see rotted logs that were previously hidden under plant growth. Logs shelter amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates.
I'd also recommend finding out which local watershed you're in. My state has dozens. See which kind of species are in the same watershed as you, and again, try to find habitats within that watershed that have similar conditions to that of your yard. If you're dry and sunny, visit a dry and sunny prairie remnant or restoration. If your yard has wetland-like conditions, visit a local wetland or wet-prairie. If your yard has different conditions in different areas, adjust accordingly. You may get to plant prairie in one area and use woodland species in another.
My yard mostly resembles dry to average prairie conditions, but appears to have historically been near or in wetland habitat before farming changed the landscape. Because of that, my garden is influenced mostly by prairie habitat, but it also contains some wetland and woodland influences in appropriate areas. The photos below are some of the local habitats that helped to influence my native garden.
While my native garden is not an exact replica of these local habitats, it does contain many of the same species found in local areas, with a little artistic license implemented to use some North American species that are not native to my watershed but benefit native wildlife, as well as to make my garden a little more colorful. All in all, most species are exactly what I'd find locally, and I continue to adjust and improve it every year to make it more resemble local habitat. 2018 will be the year I add my first native grass specie to my garden. Little Bluestem may be the grass of choice, but that's another subject for another day.
