Embracing the Native Way of Life

by Sue Leahy and Krystal Coxon

There are landscapes that we look at and enjoy for their beauty, and then there are the truly special landscapes that become a part of our lifestyle. These types of landscapes help define our dreams and intentions of our families and connect us to the natural world right outside our door. A native landscape has something to share every season, from the spring ephemerals to the glory days of summer and fall, to the winter harvest of seeds and berries. Teaching kids to anticipate and celebrate each of these wonderous seasons gives them a better appreciation for the amazingly diverse flora and fauna in our region. A great example of a family that has built and embraced the native way of life is the Coxon family of Ballwin.

Steve and Krystal Coxon were the winners of the 2019 Landscape Challenge, sponsored by Grow Native, Shaw Nature Reserve and Wild Ones St. Louis.

Steve had been a longtime gardener of edibles and ornamentals, while Krystal was a champion of environmental issues. Their The co-author’s daughter Mavis Coxon proudly displays rose passions came together mallow seed heads collected for future sowing. after their Audubon “Bring Conservation Home” evaluation in March of 2015 and they immediately started implementing suggestions from the report they received.

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6703 Telegraph Rd. • 9504 Olive Blvd. 314.846.0078 According to Krystal, when they first moved in, they never saw monarchs, finches, or a variety of pollinators. They planted natives and these animals and many more became regular visitors. This helped them to share nature with their children and to begin a journey of nature exploration, citizen science, social responsibility and compassion.

The Coxons felt their front yard was under-utilized and that the Landscape Challenge front-yard makeover would not only increase support for wildlife and provide more opportunities for their children to interact

YOUR TREES DESERVE THE BEST CARE with nature, but also to share their love of native plants with interested people walking in their busy subdivision.

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After being notified that they were the winners, the homeowners prepared the area for planting. They outlined the area with stones, covered it with cardboard and then a thick layer of mulch to eradicate the grass. The landscape was designed and

Among lessons learned by studying nature is how seeds are dispersed: butterfly weed seeds, for example, “fly”!

planted by Wild Ones volunteers and funding for the plant material was provided by Grow Native!. The Coxon’s area is heavily impacted by a high deer population, so deer-resistant plants were used. The plant list included Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Shining Blue Star, Blue Sage, Blue Wild Indigo and Prairie Coreopsis. The garden grew and the positive impact on the local ecology became quite evident by the abundance of beneficial insects and birds that frequent the space. The family then decided it was time to widen their audience and engage a new type of beneficial creature to the garden… kids!

On September 28, 2022, Krystal hosted a group of 10 children in her yard to collect native seeds and explore their diversity in characteristics and methods of spreading. The children, ages 5-12 years old, walked around the yard on a Wednesday

cont’d. on next page

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cont’d. from previous page in fall gathering seedheads and each child worked in turns to open them and observe their size, shape, color and ways in which the seeds might spread. The chaff on the common milkweed and butterfly weed surprised many of the kids who could see the seeds fly far away before landing in what may become their new growing spot. The rattlesnake master seeds fell out of the spiked seedheads with ease and the kids noted their large size. The blue wild indigo seedheads rattled like a rattlesnake and the bee balm seeds were very tiny. The feathery seeds on the little bluestem hinted at their possible flight and rose mallow with its many seedheads each filled with many seeds suggested that they spread easily. The children were quick to understand that birds help spread seeds like American beautyberry and native black raspberries with one child stating, “The birds poop the seeds out.”

A microscope was on hand for the children to see the seeds up close. The gathering culminated with the kids filling seed packets that they labeled and took

A boy studies rattlesnake master seeds he’s collected, comparing their relatively large size to other seeds he’d collected.

home to plant. Coxon provided parents with the seed identification, collection and stratification links listed on the Grow Native! website: grownative.org/learn/seeds. The wonders of nature can be found right outside our door all seasons of the year. It might take time, but if you grow native, good things will engage with your garden space, be it bees, butterflies, birds or kids!

Photos by Krystal Coxon.

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Sue Leahy (top) is the native plant manager of Greenscape Gardens and is an instructor for the Continuing Education Program for St. Louis Community College. She serves as the outreach coordinator for Wild Ones St. Louis and is an active committee member of Grow Native!. Krystal Coxon and her husband, Steve, have designed, installed and nourished a native yard and lifestyle over the past 15 years. Their yard is frequently featured on native garden tours and the Sustainable Backyard Tour.

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