Step into ‘Our Native Garden,’ our little corner of the world, where every plant has a tale to tell. Here, amidst the buzz of insects, flutter of butterfly wings, and the songs of birds, we’re attempting to create a sanctuary of native flora and fauna. By planting native species, we’re not just cultivating beauty; we’re fostering a sustainable habitat that lets the planet thrive as nature intended.
Native plants require less water, pesticides, and fertilizers, reducing our environmental footprint and supporting the creation and longevity of local ecosystems. With each bloom (or plant), we’re not just adding color; we’re contributing to cleaner air, healthier soil, and a richer tapestry of life.
This isn’t just a garden; it’s our story of passion for nature, woven leaf by leaf, bloom by bloom. It all started with a couple native plants, and has evolved into building a native garden in several areas of our property that we aren’t using to grow our own food.
Native Plants on our Homestead
Native plants are more than just pretty flowers; they’re the backbone of a thriving ecosystem. In many cases, native plants are representative of what our planet looked like before we stepped in with our yards, deforestation, and pesticide/herbicide use. You see, native plant species have evolved alongside local wildlife, forming specialized relationships that provide essential food, shelter, and habitat. By planting these plants, we’re creating a beautiful, natural landscape while fostering a sustainable haven for our native wildlife.
Below, you’ll find a listing of the native plants on our property and the invaluable roles they play in supporting our ecosystem. We still have so much to do to continue to add more value to the insects, birds, and wildlife in our area, but every small step in the right direction counts. This list is updated periodically with any new plants planted or discovered, so make sure you check back.
What’s Planted (updated 03-Jun-2024)
The table below is updated frequently with new plantings, new plants that pop up naturally, and as I learn more about the value each plant provides this planet. Make sure your check back frequently.
Scientific Name | Common Name | # Planted | Wildlife Value | Year Est. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hierochloe odorata | Vanilla Sweet Grass | 3 | ๐ด๐ชน ๐ | 2021 |
Hamamelis virginiana | Witch Hazel | 3 | ๐ด๐ | 2023 |
Physostegia virginiana | Obedience Plant | 5+ | ๐ด | 2023 |
Asclepias incarnata | Swamp Milkweed | 5+ | ๐ด๐ | 2023 |
Viola sororia | Common Blue Violet | 5+ | ๐ด๐ | 2020 |
Nyssa sylvatica | Blackgum | 2 | ๐ด๐ ๐ | 2023 |
Prunus serotina | Black Cherry | 3+ | ๐ด๐ | 2015 |
Physocarpus opulifolius | Ninebark | 3 | ๐ด ๐ | 2023 |
Lonicera sempervirens | Coral Honeysuckle | 3 | ๐ด | 2023 |
Onoclea sensibilis | Sensitive Fern | 5+ | ๐ | 2020 |
Quercus palustris | Pin Oak | 2 | ๐ด๐ ๐ชน ๐ | 2015 |
Phytolacca americana | Pokeweed | 1 | ๐ด๐ | 2021 |
Viburnum trilobum | Highbush Cranberry | 2 | ๐ด๐ ๐ | 2023 |
Sambucus canadensis | American Elderberry | 2 | ๐ด๐ ๐ | 2015 |
Acer rubrum | Red Maple | 5+ | ๐ด๐ | 2015 |
Cornus florida | Flowering Dogwood | 1 | ๐ด๐ | 2015 |
Ceanothus americanus | New Jersey Tea | 2 | ๐ด๐ | 2021 |
Liriodendron tulipifera | Tulip Tree | 2 | ๐ด๐ ๐ชน | 2015 |
Vitis labrusca ‘Concord‘ | Concord Grape | 1 | ๐ด๐ | 2018 |
Clethra alnifolia | Sweet Pepperbush | 2 | ๐ด | 2023 |
Cephalantus occidentalis | Buttonbush | 3 | ๐ด๐ ๐ชน | 2023 |
Viburnum nudum | Possumhaw | 3 | ๐ด๐ | 2023 |
Plantanus occidentalis | American Sycamore | 1 | ๐ด๐ ๐ชน | 2023 |
Heliopsis helianthoides | Oxeye Sunflower | 5+ | ๐ด๐ | 2021 |
Achillea millefolium | Common Yarrow | 5+ | ๐ด๐ ๐ชน | 2020 |
Toxicodendron radicans | Poison Ivy | 1 | ๐ด | 2024 |
Asarum canadense | Wild Ginger | 5 | ๐ | 2024* |
Allium tricoccum | Wild Leeks | 5 | ๐ด | 2024* |
Solidago altissima | Tall Goldenrod | 5+ | ๐ด๐ | 2020 |
Erigeron philadelphicus | Philadelphia Fleabane | 5+ | ๐ด๐ | 2020 |
Plants listed above with YYYY* were recently planted (this year/2024) and are pending establishment. If they all survive and come back next spring, they’ll be considered established and I will update then!
All plants listed as Established in 2015 were simply here when we bought the house and/or are naturally occurring and we did not purposefully plant them. Some plants were able to be established when we stopped mowing larger portions of our yard in 2020 (Solidago altissima, Erigeron philadelphicus, Achillea millefolium, Viola sororia, Onoclea sensibilis).
Certifying our Native Garden
I never really thought it was necessary to “certify” our garden. We planted it, we know what’s in it, and the value the plants provide to the wildlife and ecosystem we are creating. And, while each certification supports a worthwhile cause, we generally try to spend our money to create change closer to our home, both as it relates to native gardening and other causes that we want to support.
“Lazy” Homeowners
BUT, I was reminded by a neighbor that not everyone knows what we are trying to do with our backyard nature oasis. And to “old-fashioned” neighbors, it might just look like we’re lazy.
- We wait as long as possible in the spring to mow our yard. Similar to “no mow May,” but with our higher spring temperatures, we rarely make it through all of May before mowing. This year, we at least made it into May before we mowed for the first time. We try to wait until soil temperatures are at least 50 degree F, and the nights are no longer consistently in the 40s, an occasional dip should be okay with the rest of the habitats we’ve provided. This allows more time for any overwintering insects and native bees to wake up from their hibernation before we potentially destroy their homes.
- We don’t mow our entire yard at one time, preferring to leave a portion of the naturally (not always native) occurring flowers for the pollinators. This has also helped some beautiful native plants pop up around our yard like the goldenrod, fleabane, and pokeweed.
- We keep our grass mowed to about 4 inches, which is really high compared to our neighbors’ yards. But tall grass keeps the soil moist, inviting all sorts of moist loving insects, slugs, and snails. Plus Fireflies need the long grass to provide cover, as they mostly spend their days on the moist ground, and then they use the tall grass at night to launch into the beautiful night sky and signal to potential mates.
- We leave the leaves in the fall, as many as we can in as large of a section as we can. This provides habitats for many beneficial insects, adds nutrients to our soil as they breakdown, helps us get rid of sections of our grass yard, and provides a moist natural mulch for new plants to thrive in. We also don’t cut any of our flower stems in the fall (or at all really). Leaving the dead stems gives the bird places to perch in the winter as they search for seeds (also from the dead flower stems) and other food, and it allows for native bees and insects to build overwintering nests inside the hollowed out stems. And the new growth in the spring just covers the dead stems, and you can’t even see them.
- We pile up sticks in random places of our yard to provide shelter and housing for toads, bunnies, and any other wildlife that might enjoy the cute “huts” we build for them.
- We’ve cleaned up some pieces of trees that have fallen around our yard, but left the majority of the dead wood where it stands (or has fallen). Dead trees and down wood from trees are important to ecosystems by providing wildlife habitat and shelter, allowing for slow decay and cycling nutrients back into the soil, carbon storage, as well as potentially decreasing erosion and influencing drainage and soil moisture. Plus I like the beautiful, natural look of the down tree with moss and other plants growing all over it. There’s something poetic about it, like even in death there is more life created.
That’s just a short list of the things we purposefully try to do in conjunction with our native plantings around our yard. And it has paid off with the naturally occurring native plants popping up, songbirds (according to the Boyfriend) singing in the evenings, and fireflies “dancing” at night.
And this makes us happy!
Current Certifications (updated 03-Jun-2024)
With all the “laziness” that our neighbors see, and some neighbor problems that we’ve run into, we decided it was probably time to look into certifying our garden to show “proof” that we are actually building something here. And not just being “lazy.”
I still feel like our yard is a work in progress. There is so much space left for planting, and eventual beautification, like “gardens of old” with cute little signs and statues and stuff like that. But we’ve made enough progress with helping pollinators and wildlife, sustainable garden practices, and establishing native plants, that we currently are:
- Certified Butterfly Garden through North American Butterfly Association (NABA)
- Certified Wildlife Habitat through National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
- Monarch Waystation certified and registered through Monarch Watch
We’ve pledged to Bring Back the Pollinators and are an honored Pollinator Habitat through The Xerces Society.
And we are proudly registered as a Pollinator Garden in the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge through the Pollinator Partnership.
We’ve also recently joined the Youngstown, OH chapter of WildOnes to continue to learn and grow our native garden, while simultaneously working on becoming a Certified Native Habitat.
Removing Invasive Species
Removing invasive species is crucial for maintaining the health and balance of our native garden ecosystem. While our focus is on fostering native flora and fauna, invasive species can quickly overrun, outcompete, and disrupt this delicate balance. We’re currently battling bindweed, bush honeysuckle, English ivy, and multi-flora rose in various sections of our yard. I don’t know that we’ve made any progress toward removing them completely so that they don’t come back, but…we’re working on it (slowly, but surely)!
Here’s how we approach the removal of invasive species:
- Identification: We regularly survey our property to identify any invasive species that may have taken root. This involves familiarizing ourselves with the characteristics of common invasive plants in our area.
- Prioritization: Once identified, we prioritize the removal of invasive species based on their impact on native biodiversity and ecosystem health. We focus on eradicating the most problematic invaders first. For us that has been the bush honeysuckle and the bindweed. One is shoving it’s way into the foundation of our home, and the other literally pops up EVERYWHERE.
- Manual Removal: We employ manual removal techniques whenever possible, including pulling, digging, or cutting out invasive plants by hand. This method allows us to target individual plants while minimizing disturbance to native vegetation.
- Safe Disposal: After removal, we ensure that invasive plants are disposed of properly to prevent their spread. This may involve bagging and disposing of plant material in accordance with local regulations or composting non-reproductive parts under controlled conditions. I have an old black trash can, where I throw all invasive plant matter. This ensure that I am containing the plant material without sending it to a landfill, and eventually I can compost the very dead plant material (after it has broken down in this trash can for a couple years).
- Monitoring and Maintenance: Removal efforts are ongoing, as invasive species may resprout or reseed over time. We regularly monitor our property for signs of invasive regrowth and promptly address any new infestations that arise.
We believe in sharing our knowledge and experiences with our community to raise awareness about the threat of invasive species. Through education and outreach efforts, we hope to inspire others to join us in protecting and preserving native habitats.
By actively removing invasive species from our native garden, we’re safeguarding the health of our ecosystem while creating a more resilient and biodiverse environment.