Greetings!
Spring is getting closer. There are still lots of thing to do to prepare for the growing season. People have been asking about native garden design and we will discuss this in coming issues. In this issue is "Where to Start" with native garden design. We hope you find this helpful.
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 | Native Garden Design
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 Where to start. Taking a look at what you have is a really important 1st step. What plants are growing? Are they invasive? Or do you just have turf? Do you have shade? Is the area dry or particularly wet?
Choose an area where you want the garden and make notes about the site. Is it open to strong winds? Does it have shade all day, part of the day or is it full sun?
Consider the soil. Is it clay, sandy or loam? Is the soil poor or does it contain organic matter? What is the pH? Get a soil test or preform one of you own.
Studying the area will help you determine what plants will grow there. It is much easier to choose plants suited to an area than it is to try and make an area suitable for certain plants.
What do you want to accomplish with your planting? Are you looking for beauty, or do you want to attract pollinators? Do you need to plant to hold soil, such as on a bank? Do you want to decrease the size of the area you are mowing? Do you want to create paths or hide an unsightly area?
Once you have all this information you can start to pick out plants. Next month we will discuss choosing plant material.
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| Invasive Plants |
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Now is a great time to think about what invasive plants may be on your property and what you can do to control them. There may be the common weeds. Garlic mustard, dames rocket, honeysuckle and buckthorn will all invade from neighboring properties. Are there some you may have planted or may have been planted by previous owners? Plants such as Norway maples, burning bush, barberries and crown vetch are all commonly planted and can easily escape into the wild or move around your property. This creates loss of habitat for native plants and the animals that depend on them.
Consider replacing your invasive plants with native plants.
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