NATIVE PLANTS
How would you like to step out your back door into a peaceful haven filled with natural beauty? Imagine sitting on your patio enjoying the colorful view below. While the flowers may catch your attention from a distance, if you moved closer, you could follow the wandering path of a lazy bumblebee or a frenetic hummingbird as it zips from bloom to bloom. Sound like a dream? It doesn’t have to be. Designing a backyard retreat with a natural feel is as simple as starting with plants native to your region.
What would the Eastern woodlands be without spring wildflowers, the Southwest deserts be without succulents or the Midwestern prairies be without grasses? Native plants give each region its distinctive personality and they can do the same for your backyard. Work a few of these “locals” into your border to create a garden that reminds you of a favorite nature walk and blends smoothly into the surrounding landscape.
You may have heard that growing native plants is super easy. Since they’re accustomed to the conditions in a particular area, you can just plant them and forget them. But natives, like any other type of plant, have specific cultural needs you’ll have to supply for them to be healthy. Find out where the native plant you want to grow is found) or moss phlox () might be happy there. Is there shade with moist soil? Try wild columbine () or Turk’s cap lily ().
