Native Plants

I'm spending some time tonight looking at the list of native plants over at Intermountain Nursery, dreaming of what I might be able to add to our property. We have several spaces here that are/were/could be gardens, and I'm working on fixing a few of them. We've tried gardening before, growing pretty flowers in certain areas. It's never ended well. I blame a lack of research and a lack of commitment. Which is why I'm reading now.

Native plants and xeriscaping  are smart, sensible ideas for a garden. One, you're setting yourself up for success. These plants are built to thrive in your area. When I wander the garden center I always think "Wow, that's nice. If I take it home will it live?" That's not to say native plants are foolproof, but these bad boys are designed to thrive and reproduce in your areas. The odds are in your favor.

They're also excellent if you're worried about water consumption. We live in a Mediterranean/borderline desert climate. We're surrounded by several irrigated fields and we're on a well. Simply put we don't have extra water to put toward maintaining verdant lawns and plentiful flowers. Using native drought tolerant plants means less watering. I would assume this also works if you're worried about too much water. Native plants should be used to the seasonal changes in precipitation in your area and bear them better than non-natives.

While searching for native plant information I came across several state native plant societies. They seem like a great place to get started and I'd say there's a good chance your state has one. My fellow Californians can check out the California Native Plant Society. If you're not from California you can still look. Go ahead, it's okay. I won't tell. But if you'd prefer try searching "(your state) native plant society" and enjoy spending half a day looking at pretty plants.

Even here in the valley it's possible to have a beautiful garden. Hopefully I'll have a little progress of my own to report soon.

via niiicedave @ Flickr