Going Native In Your Garden
Gardening with native plants - that is, with species that grew here before the first settlers arrived from Europe - has always had its supporters, Landscaping Services but it’s a trend that’s getting stronger as part of the eco-friendly movement. Advocates argue that because native species have adapted to local conditions, they’re easier to grow, less likely to invade other parts of the garden, and require less water, pesticides and fertilizers. They also maintain that native plants are the best choice to attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife.
Does this mean we should dig up our non-native perennials and shrubs and replace them with ferns, trilliums, and maples? Not according to two Ottawa garden experts. They say that while native plants do offer advantages, the most practical approach — and sometimes the most eco-friendly — is to integrate them with non-native species, finding the best location for each plant.
“There are a lot of generalizations about native plants, but these aren’t always true,” says Eva Schmitz, owner of Artistic Landscape Design. Take the statement that native plants are hardier. “A species from a country like Russia may be just as hardy as a Canadian native, perhaps hardier,” she says. Nor are native plants necessarily less invasive.
“Some natives spread very quickly,” says Adele Courville, design centre manager at Rockcliffe Landscaping. “An aggressive, self-seeding native may be fine for a woodland area, but not for an urban garden. You can try to stop a plant from spreading by creating a barrier below the soil surface, but in time, it will over-root and won’t survive.” While she believes that native plants are the best for wildlife,
Ms. Schmitz considers this to be a generalization, too. “Birds and bees are attracted by colour and shape. They don’t avoid a plant because it’s originally from Europe or Asia.”
Rather than focusing on whether it’s native or not, both women stress the importance of picking plants that will suit their location in the garden. How well any plant does, they say, depends on whether you have the light, moisture, soil and other conditions it needs. Native white spruce, for example, flourishes
in the forest, but can’t take city pollution; red lobelia thrives in water, but will die in a dry location. “Many native Ontario plants grow in woodlands with rich,
organic soil and plenty of water and shade,” Ms. Courville notes. “They won’t succeed in dry, full sun environment.You must provide similar conditions or a native species can wind up being high maintenance.”
In the wrong space, natives may be as susceptible to disease as other plants. “If you have a native, upright phlox in an area with poor circulation, it will get mildew,” Eva Schmitz says. “Again, it’s about putting the right plant in the right location and keeping it healthy. That’s also the best way to eliminate the use of toxins such as pesticides. I don’t spray any plant.”
Besides being a practical solution for many gardens, integrating native plants with other species boosts can boost variety and visual appeal. Natives can be straggly and inconspicous-looking, and depending on the plant, may take as long as five years to bloom. “Natives that have been hybridized often provide bigger blooms,” Ms. Schmitz observes. “They may also be taller, more compact, and have stronger stems and healthier leaves. In fact, native plants can be made richer with hybridized versions.”
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Friday, May 9th, 2008
