One of the things I’d like to do in the garden this year is to plant some native plants.
Thanks to my favorite gardening podcasts, The joe gardener Show and A Way to Garden, I am becoming increasingly aware of the importance of adding native plants to my garden and landscape.
Native plants are important for several reasons:
- the local wildlife, including insects, have evolved along with these plants and depend on them for food and shelter.
- native plants are perfectly adapted to their own climate and growing conditions, which reduces the need for chemical fertilization and pesticides.
- they are rarely invasive because conditions and predators keep the situation balanced
- they are just plain easier for us gardeners, requiring less work and resources.
You (like me) might be asking: just how local does a plant need to be? From what I’ve read, county or state level is a good starting point. The local extension office can be a good source of information.
Some wildflowers that my sister-in-law planted in her yard
I’m not sure if these flowers are native or not, but this bee seems right at home.
Come to think of it, I really wasn’t exactly sure which plants are native to my area. Then I found a good resource, Audubon.org. They have a plant database. All you have to do is enter your zip code and a list of plants native to your area will pop up. Easy peasy!
Note that when I checked their site this week, the plant database was down for maintenance. It is worth a look, so try to check it out later if you can. UPDATE – this feature seems to be working fine now, head on over and find your native plants!
Are you into native plants? And if so, which are your faves? Leave a comment!
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