As home gardeners become more educated about the role native plants play in the ecosystem — and their importance to pollinators, wildlife and humans — many are turning to “rewilding.” The term refers to a landscaping approach that depends on the use of native plants to sustain insects, bees, birds and butterflies.
In embracing the movement, these gardeners are eliminating their lawns, replacing exotic species with native plants, forgoing fall cleanups to preserve food and shelter for overwintering birds and insects, and transforming their properties into habitats.
Others, however, are worried about what they fear might be a “messy” landscape and are intimidated by the work and potential cost of a complete garden makeover. Those living in neighborhoods governed by homeowners’ associations often face mandates on well-maintained lawns and restrictions on plant choices.
The good news is that embracing native plants doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. It’s possible to incorporate natives into a conventional garden without embarking on a complete renovation.
People are also reading…
Just one native potted plant that feeds one pollinator will make a difference. More is better, of course, but including a few natives alongside traditional garden plants — whether in containers or in the ground — will create a more sustainable, blended garden that attracts beneficial insects. A bonus: Native plants are generally drought-tolerant.
If replacing your entire lawn with a meadow or even native groundcover sounds daunting, consider shrinking it. Install new beds and borders, or expand existing ones, around its perimeter or at its center and fill them with plants native to your region. You’ll be rewarded with the buzzing of bees and fluttering of butterflies, as well as fewer mowing, weeding, watering and fertilizing chores and expenses.
And your flowering plants, fruits and vegetables will bloom better with the help of your garden’s new residents.
Sowing native wildflowers would be ideal, but if a meadow aesthetic doesn’t sit well with you — or your neighbors — consider retaining a small border of manicured lawn. It will define your plantings and keep the garden looking well-tended.
In my garden just outside New York City, I embarked on a gradual conversion several years ago. I minimized the lawn and overseeded it with clover, which attracts pollinators, fixes nitrogen into the soil (free fertilizer!) and stands up to my dog’s “visits” better than turf grass.
Although I kept my beloved hydrangeas, roses and lilacs, the only new plants I bring home these days are natives. After just a few years, native plants already outnumber exotics in my garden. That ratio will continue to grow as my old garden favorites decline and are replaced with plants that belong here.
Along the way, I discovered beautiful flowering perennials like Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium caeruleum), turtlehead (Chelone obliqua) and buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), all of which provide nectar for pollinators. I interplanted the roses with native gayfeather (Liatris spicata), bee balm (Monarda didyma) and milkweed (Asclepias), which serves as the only food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars.
I’ve always loved black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Anise Hyssop (Agastache) and Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum). They’re all native to my region, although, to be honest, I didn’t know or consider that a couple of decades ago when I first brought them home.
My containers hold annuals, yes, but also native coral bells (Heuchera Americana), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum).
Autumn leaves are still raked, but instead of being bagged up and placed on the curb, they’re pushed into garden beds to serve as winter mulch and a hideout for beneficial insects.
I’m gradually working to replace the monkey grass (Liriope muscari) with my region’s native sedge (Carex pensylvanica), which also could serve as a lovely lawn alternative.
I foresee the transition taking several more years to complete, but it’s another step in the right direction. In gardening, as in life, we do well to strive for progress — not perfection.
How to protect your garden before and after severe storms
Here’s what gardeners can do in face of storms
As we celebrate blooming roses, ripening tomatoes and the pollinator frenzy in our backyards, we gardeners also should be aware of the downsides of summer: thunderstorms, tropical storms and hurricanes.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an “above-normal 2022 Atlantic hurricane season,” and even as tornado season winds down, some threat remains year-round in parts of the country.
So what’s a gardener to do? After ensuring that people, homes and other structures are safe, our thoughts naturally turn to our beds and borders. We’ve poured our blood, sweat, tears and money into them, so protecting our investment — and the joy it brings — matters.
Before the storm
When storms are predicted, close patio umbrellas and store garden furniture indoors, if possible. Examine trees for cracked or broken branches and remove them before they’re torn by strong winds and sent flying. If those trees are large, hire a certified arborist to inspect them; the cost is nothing compared to the damage they could cause if they were to break or topple.
In warmer climes, palm trees are well-adapted to high-wind conditions, so there’s no need to prune them, but remove coconuts and store them safely indoors.
If your soil is moist — either naturally or from recent rain — apply 3 inches of mulch over beds and borders. That will offer protection against the soaking effects of a deluge, which could uproot trees, especially shallow-rooted ones like white pine, birch, willow and tulip poplar, among others.
Stake any newly planted trees to support them, and bring hanging baskets and planters into the home, shed or garage. If that’s not possible, line them up against the house or another protected spot.
Protect the flowers of small blooming plants by covering them with buckets or cloches topped with something heavy, like a brick, to hold them in place. Wrap larger plants with burlap secured with twine. Orchids, bromeliads, succulents, air plants and other tree-dwelling plants can be tied into place with fishing line.
Check that all vining plants are secured to their supports, and that the supports are firmly staked into the ground. If they don’t feel secure, remove the supports and lay them – and the plants – on the ground until the threat passes.
Lay row cover fabric over tender, young seedlings and pin it into place with landscape pegs.
After the storm
Once the storm has passed, clear away fallen fruit and vegetables, which could attract rodents if left to rot on the ground, and remove protection from around plants.
Inspect trees for damage. If you can safely remove hanging, broken branches while standing on the ground, do so. But avoid pruning anything higher than your head or climbing a ladder to prune. Those jobs are best left to a professional — and that doesn’t mean a guy who shows up at your door with a chainsaw, who is unlikely to know what he’s doing and could be a scammer.
The International Society of Arborists maintains a list of certified arborists on its website at https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist; start your search there.
If a small tree has been toppled or uprooted, straighten and stake it as soon as possible, tamping the soil firmly as you replant it. Insert stakes into the ground around the trunk, attach twine, rope or cord to the stakes, and fasten them to the tree. Apply 3 inches of mulch or straw over the soil, keeping it 3 to 4 inches away from trunks, and water the tree regularly for the remainder of the growing season. This will help re-establish the root system.
Wind sway helps trees develop strong trunks and roots, so don’t keep the tree staked for longer than six months to a year.
Salt spray can desiccate, or dehydrate, trees and shrubs near the coasts, and they might not show symptoms until the following year. Apply mulch around trees to retain soil moisture, and water deeply and repeatedly to flush out salts.
Refrain from pruning evergreens or removing dry tips until after new growth appears the following spring.
If high tides encroach upon your property, salt will likely form a crust on the soil’s surface, leading to dehydration. Most plants won’t survive such devastation, but the soil can be restored: Water deeply, then spread gypsum over the soil. It will react with the salt to form sodium sulfate, which will wash through the ground with repeated waterings. Continue watering deeply for the rest of the year.
—
Jessica Damiano writes regularly about gardening for The Associated Press. A master gardener and educator, she writes The Weekly Dirt newsletter and creates an annual Gardening Calendar of daily gardening tips. Send her a note at [email protected] and find her at jessicadamiano.com and on Instagram @JesDamiano.
Across the Sky: Summer outlook and weather forecasts for the energy sector
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Life Style News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.