everything greens: going non-native

Everything Greens

going non-native

By christie hoerneman

I'm a huge advocate for using native plants in residential landscaping. With insects declining at an alarming rate, providing larval hosts-plants that have coevolved with insects to provide the necessary requirements for their larvae-is a good idea. To that end, I'm currently working on transforming half of my backyard into a native plant garden consisting of perennials, shrubs, and trees that will provide habitat and food for wildlife. Since beginning the transformation, I've noticed how a native plant looks like any other plant in my garden, but when I go up close, it's swarming with dozens of bees, butterflies, and moths. I've also noticed with the increased insect and caterpillar population in my yard, there are many more birds building nests, including Eastern Bluebirds, which rely on those insects and caterpillars in my yard to feed their young.

However, while I love native plants, and I love how they help the ecosystem by serving as larval hosts and food sources, I also love ornamental flowers and shrubs. A lot of us, myself included, didn't grow up with gardens full of milkweed and other native plants, so some of our favorite and familiar plants are originally imports from other countries, which is (with a few caveats) ok. Certain plants remind me of home, and I also love to grow ornamental flowers solely as cut flowers. I don't mind cutting the zinnias that I've seen bees on all week. since I have other plants that will provide food. Some of my favorite cut flowers include: tulips, gladiolas, calla lilies, dahlias, peonies, and zinnias! Before choosing any ornamental plants, it's important to ensure that you are not planting anything that is invasive, such as English Ivy, vinca, and Nandina. Unfortunately, many nurseries sell plants that are invasive in Virginia, because invasive plants are typically easy to grow and difficult to kill; qualities that many people are looking for in plants for their gardens. The reason though that these plants are a problem for the environment, is that they spread easily and displace essential native plants, which act as larval hosts. Without insects and pollinators, we would have no food, because they pollinate the food we eat, and they help form the base of the food pyramid, which large animals are a part of. Until recently, I had Cosmos growing in my garden. I love Cosmos as cut flowers, but unbeknownst to me when I sowed the seeds in the spring, Cosmos can be invasive. Yes, the plants can be deadheaded before they go to seed, but I figured that I have enough to do in my garden without worrying if I deadhead plants before they can go to seed. If you're unsure if a plant is invasive, the simplest thing you can do is an online search for the name of the plant with the word invasive.

Christie Hoerneman serves on the board of directors at Downtown Greens and is a strong advocate for gardening responsibly