Principle #9 showcase native plants
The posting today is one of the series titled:
Principles of Design in use at Gardens at Waters East.
All ten (10) design principles are listed in an outline form which can be located on the November 14, 2010 posting. Refer back to that date for the complete list of the guiding ideas used to develop and to bring unity throughout the many gardens.
Native plants are wonderful work horses for the garden. They take so little care once established, and are oh so hardy. These plants were meant to be in your garden. Wherever your garden may be, consider using native plants from your particular area. Natives know your soil, know your water conditions, know your climate zone better than you. Give them an opportunity to prove to you, they know what is best.
Most people want to have more than just “natives” in the garden. There may be favorites they have, or plants that bring back memories, or something that caught their eye in the past, or while in a garden center recently. No one questions that there are many reasons to go beyond “natives”. Just the variety of plants available today makes any committed gardener want to try more that the native plants of an area. Principle nine (9) reminds us to consider at least some use of “natives” for your garden. You will be happy with all the benefits that having “natives” can bring to your garden experience, not the least of which will be so little care and time needed from your schedule. Mix things up. Natives with newer or old favorites can work together bringing a variety that makes a pleasant garden.
Birds, butterflies, insects of all kinds, will show up throughout the seasons when you use plants than are part of their diets. Plants that brought them to your zone in the first place. That is the great thing about native plantings. They do help you do your gardening in many ways.
“Going native” makes lots of people and critters very happy. In the Gardens at Waters East there are natives such as; Cup Plants, Rattlesnake Master, Coneflowers, Compass Flowers, Prairie Sunflower, Aster, Monarda, Baptisia, Columbine, Joe Pye Weed, Sweet Pea, Wood Violets, Primrose, Solomon’s Seal, Allium, even the native cactus (Opuntia polyacantha), and many more. All these are found within the gardens mixed with some not so native plantings of; peony, daffodils, lavender, clematis, roses, hosta, ornamental grasses, and lots and lots of day lilies (more on those newly hybridized and never before seen day lilies in late Winter postings) etc.
native Blue Aster
Gardens at Waters East has over four-hundred and fifty different kinds of trees, bushes, grasses, and flowering plants, many are natives. Hopefully, all of that variety is in the garden without looking messy or over done. Whatever you do plant, do try to incorporate some natives. Mixing is not a bad idea.
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