Landscaping with Native Plants

Virginia Spiderwort, Tradescantia virginiana

Planting natives in landscape gardens is catching on like wildfire. And why not? Native plants are attractive, more disease resistant, hardier and beneficial to our native fauna. It adds up to a win-win situation! And really, just because you use natives, does not mean you can't have an attractive yard. I mix all manner of native plants in with my hosta and hybrid geraniums. It is OK. You don't have to "do" all natives cold turkey. You can have your natives and throw in some annuals for color too. There are no rules here, just gardeners having fun and remembering to provide plants and habitat for the native species too.

So here is my home landscape, all decked out with Red-twig Dogwood, Elm tree, hosta, annual geraniums... and what is that fantastic, blue, blooming plant? It is Tradescantia virginiana! It grows so large in this flowerbed- I use it in place of shrubbery. It is native, colorful, easy to grow and fun. What could be better?

If you would like to see more ways to use wildflowers and native plants in landscapes, as well as colorful photos of the birds and butterflies attracted to them, you are welcome to join the Worthington Hills Garden Club on June 10th for a luncheon and my power-point program on Wildflowers! (just $19.00 for both.)

Reservations are required, and you'll want to arrive at 11:00am for Social & Registration. Please contact Paula Harper by phone: 614-792-5279 before June 2nd.

And if you'd like to learn more about native plants, follow the side bar link to the Midwest Native Plant Conference in Dayton. Check out all the great speakers there as well, and join us for 3 days of fun.