Everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to the look of their home and yard. Many people who want to be more sustainable are reluctant to add native plants that will make a garden look “messy,” but there are numerous ways you can have a more “native and neat” aesthetic. With the right selections, you can easily incorporate native plants into existing or new gardens and create a beautiful oasis that is both pleasing to the eye as well as beneficial to the greater ecosystem. Here are some helpful hints to consider:
- Right Plant, Right Place: As with any plant you add to your garden, choose species that generally match the growing conditions of your location (think: amount of sunlight, if the soil is dry/medium/moist, or if you are planting near an evergreen tree or bush that may be making the soil around it more acidic). See our Bringing Nature To Your Yard guide for a list of native plants and their growing conditions.
- Purchase native plants from a reputable grower that doesn’t just sell cultivars and do not dig up wild plants. Also, make sure that the plant’s genetics are from regional sources.
- Unless you have a larger area, generally choose native perennials and grasses that grow to less than 3-4 feet high. There are places to use taller native species but often their effect is not as successful in a smaller residential garden. Some of our top recommendations would be Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa, Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum, Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum, and New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus.
- Plant into the existing soil. Native plants do not need fertilizers or other soil amendments. Soil that is too rich will cause overgrowth of some species and they will look unattractive.
- If you live in a relatively new development that had most of the topsoil removed during development and are trying to dig in heavy clay, mix in some leaf mulch. We suggest a 20:80 mulch to soil ratio. Turning soil over as part of the mixing process will often expose weed seeds. Be prepared and watch so you can get an early handle on controlling them.
- Hand pull weeds to keep them in check and remove competition for light and water. Pulling weeds is always easier after it has rained as the soil will be looser.
- Mulch your new planting area to help keep unwanted weed growth down. It is best to use a leaf mulch rather than wood chips in a perennial garden. If using wood chips, make sure they are not dyed, and are aged and shredded.
- It’s fine to cut back most native plants if you think they get too large for the garden. You can use the “Chelsea Chop” method where you cut the plants back to 6-8” in late May or early June. This works most successfully with native plants that bloom later in the summer and fall. They will come back fuller and will flower at a shorter height.
- Since many butterflies and other pollinators overwinter in leaf litter, hollow stems, or in the ground, it is better to wait on cleaning up the garden until spring when the weather warms. Leaving flower heads and tall grasses also adds a nice dimension to the winter landscape and provides seeds and protection for birds and other species. The chrysalis of the Clearwing Hummingbird Moth that overwinters in leaf litter is a good example.
- Some, but not all, native plants spread easily by seed if there is a lot of bare ground in your garden. If you do not want them to spread to other parts of the garden, cut off the seed heads or pods and dispose of them before they ripen.
Whether you are seeking to have a formal, structured garden or a natural looking one, native plants can do it all! You’ll have the best of both worlds in the sense that you get the “look” you want while also providing valuable resources back to our greater ecosystem. If you’re looking for additional recommendations for your specific yard, sign up for a free yard consultation conducted by one of our Conservation@Home staff!