Welcoming Wildflowers in the Garden

As a landscape architect, I was keenly focused on how to site the house to maximize the views and the light and how to protect the trees during construction. I negotiated with the contractor on how much area he needed to build the house, store supplies, etc. We fenced off all the remaining area to protect the trees and soil from compaction and contamination. And, as it happened, in saving the trees and the original soil, we unknowingly saved the wildflowers too.

I had already experienced the thrill of discovering unusual flowers on the property and identifying them with a wildflower guidebook. As with everything else in the garden, you don’t know the wildflower until you know its name. Then you can read several different wildflower guides to find out more: how the Cherokees used the plant, how the pioneers used the plant, and sometimes how modern science uses the plant. Every guidebook gives a little additional information that makes it fun to keep reading and learning.

All around me, I see homeowners who buy a wooded lot, scrape off everything in the understory they don’t recognize, and import plants they like from their past gardens, whether it be from California or New York or Texas. What do these plants have to do with the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina? Nothing. Everyone appreciates the views of the mountains and the cool summer temperatures, but what about the authentic spirit of the place, with its authentic native plant palette.

When embarking on a new landscape project, recognizing and preserving what botanical gems we already have requires a shift not only among home gardeners, but also landscape contractors and designers who might suggest clearing out all the “weeds” and understory in order to plant something “nice” purchased from a nursery. And until recently, not many native plants have entered the nursery trade. Fortunately, native plant nurseries and native plant catalogues are gaining popularity now as gardeners discover the benefits of native plants.

Every gardener can do something to support the ecosystem, according to Tallamy: If you already have an established home landscape, the next time a tree or shrub dies, replace it with a native. Reclaim a portion of your property for natives by creating a natural area mulched with leaves. Convert a part of your lawn to an informal area mulched with leaves and planted with natives, including wildflowers.

In addition to supporting the ecosystem, what is the benefit for gardeners? Native plants are low maintenance. Once they are established, native wildflowers and plants require much less water and little or no fertilizer because they naturally grow in the area and are therefore adapted to it. The most important thing is to stop spraying pesticides indiscriminately: Spray only in a limited spot for a specific problem.

Wherever you live in the U.S., you have the opportunity to create in your garden informal areas (large or small), mulched with leaves and planted with native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Consult your county extension agent or local wildflower society to find out which wildflowers and plants are native to your area. Select wildflowers that naturally grow in the conditions you have. Trying to grow a wildflower that does not naturally grow in your conditions leads only to disappointment and wasted time and money.

In planting native wildflowers and plants, you are helping the birds, the insects, the ecosystem—and you are helping yourself.

CONTINUE THE WILDFLOWER TOUR

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