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Curious about native plants but unsure how to begin? This guide is for you. Transform your garden into a vibrant haven for birds, butterflies, and wildlife with ease! Follow these five simple steps to get started. Pick one or try all five. You won't regret it!
Number One: Plant One of These Trees
Redbud (Cercis canadensis) and serviceberry (Amelanchier) trees are easy to grow. Both have sublime spring blooms and good fall color. Serviceberries have the added plus of summer berries beloved by birds. Both trees are readily available, grow in sun to part shade and aren't choosy about the type of soil they are planted in. Both are understory trees which means they tend to the smaller side.
Most gardens, even small ones, have room for one more tree. You can plant your tree in a lawn by removing a circle of lawn three times as wide as your tree, add it to an existing garden bed, or nestle it near the drip line of a larger more mature tree. All are fine locations. In my neighborhood, both of these trees have been successfully planted in the ground between the street and sidewalk which gives an indication of how resilient they are.
If you are new to planting trees, here is a short how to video. You can also ask a landscaper to plant one for you. Science tells us the smaller your new tree is when you plant it, the stronger its root system will likely be in the long run so this doesn't have to be an enormous effort or expenditure. Think small!
If you need to shop by mail, Direct Natives carries redbuds and serviceberries.
Number Two: Add Two Shrubs for Berries
Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) and winterberry (Ilex verticillata) are very versatile. They are relatively slow growing and can be planted in full sun or part shade. Both shrubs produce small white flowers in spring and red berries in late summer and fall. Birds love these berries! Very mature specimens will grow to 8 or 10 feet in height but typically they are much smaller and can easily be pruned if they get too large. Shrubs like these can be tucked into existing garden beds, along fences, at the edge of the drip line of a more mature tree, or along a house foundation.
Winterberries also grow beautifully in moist or damp areas should you have those conditions. Also, please note winterberry shrubs are either female or male. The female shrub produces the berries. To get the berries, you must plant a female shrub and a male shrub. The male shrubs are smaller and can easily be tucked anywhere within about 50 feet of the female shrub. This may sound complicated but places that sell winterberries almost always carry the females and the males. Plant these shrubs just like you would a tree.
If you need to shop by mail, Direct Natives carries red chokeberries and female female winterberry and male winterberry.
Number Three: Plant Flowering Perennials in a Sunny Spot
If it's a summer of flowers you'd like to add to your garden, find a sunny spot and plant a mix of black eyed susans (Rudbeckia fulgida), penstemons (Penstemon digitalis) and asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies') and you should have months of flowers with no fuss. This is a situation of the more the merrier. Plant in odd numbers and add as many as your budget will allow. You can group like flowers together for a more formal effect or mix them up for a looser effect. Either way, you should have lots of pollinators as soon as flowering gets underway in June or so!
If you need to shop by mail, Plant More Natives carries these flowering perennial plants. aster, black eyed susans, and penstemon.
Number Four: Plant a Container for your Deck, Patio or Balcony
Scentists tell us even a single container makes a difference in supporting pollinators. First, determine whether your container will be in shade or sun, select your plants and pot away. You can go with one type of plant for a sleek look or combine plants to create a longer season of bloom.
Make sure to use a soil mix designed for containers and to use a container that has a drainage hole. Both are critical for success with containers.
For shade: Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), dwarf crested iris (Iris cristata), foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), seersucker sedge (Carex plantaginea)
For sun: asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies'), black eyed susans (Rudbeckia fulgida), blue hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)z
If you need to shop by mail, Plant More Natives carries these perennial plants: aster, black eyed susans, blue hyssop, Christmas fern, dwarf crested iris, little bluestem, seersucker sedge and Direct Natives carries foamflower
Number Five: Visit a Native Plant Nursery and Ask for Suggestions
This is the best option of all! If you have a bit of time, you might choose to visit one of the region's native plant nurseries. Unlike garden centers where maybe 10% of the plant inventory is native, at native plant nurseries, most all plants are natives so whatever plant catches your eye, it will do the trick. The staff at these nurseries are so happy to help you find just the right plants! Try to take some photos of the area you'd like to plant, some notes on when during the day it gets sun and shade, and even a handful of soil if you are so inclined. This will make plant selection much easier. This page lists a number of native plant nurseries. Here are some general tips for shopping for native plants.
Deer
All. the plants recommended for planting in the ground are generally considered deer resistant. We all know if a deer is hungry enough, it will eat anything. Deer also tend to prefer young tender plants so if deer are a concern, particularly with trees, enclose your new tree in a tree cage. Here is a short video from Redbud Native Plant Nursery showing how to easily build one. For more information about deer and native plants, check out this fantastic resource: Deer Resistant Plants for the Northeast, a book by Ruth Rogers-Clausen and Gregg Tepper.
Location
The most important thing of all is to have fun with it. Your thoughts may be a million miles away when you see your first butterfly or moth on one of your native plants or you may be watching closely every day. No doubt though, once you begin to see how much fun this is, your thoughts may well be of more plants!
This leads to the last tip -- whatever plants you choose, think about planting in a location you see every day - along a path, your favorite balcony or your favorite window. That's it.
Happy Gardening!
Great suggestions!