I attended a lecture about native plants by Mikaela Boley, Principal Agent Associate—Home Horticulture & Master Gardener Coordinator for the University of Maryland—Talbot County. I learned that most of our gardens are populated with non-native plants because that is what our nurseries stock. The obvious question is why select native plants over the readily available non-native plants?
Turns out there are a lot of reasons. First, native plants are usually lower maintenance than non-native plants. Native plants have adapted to the local climate and soil conditions.
Native plants do not require fertilizer. Once the soil has been prepared and amended as needed (e.g., PH level, compost), native plants need no more. They have adapted to our ecosystem’s soil and can survive off the soil’s available nutrients without the help of fertilizers. Not only do we save time and money, but we eliminate fertilizer which is detrimental to the environment.
With native plants, pesticides are also unnecessary. Native plants have developed natural defenses against indigenous insects, diseases, and fungi. (Many are still vulnerable to the local fauna such as bunnies and deer.)
Because native plants have adapted to the local climate and weather conditions, they are more likely to survive droughts and other conditions where lawns and non-native gardens struggle. Native plants in dry areas develop deep root systems that allow them to store water for long periods during our frequent droughts.
Native plants are rarely invasive. I have English ivy and other invasive plants planted by a previous owner, and they are impossible to get rid of.
Planting native plants in troublesome areas prevents nutrient run-off into our waterways. Thanks to their deep root systems, native plants help stabilize and anchor the soil.
Native plants play an important role providing food and shelter for indigenous insects and wildlife. According to Boley, many gardeners build gardens specifically designed for local pollinators. Since our native insects, birds, and other wildlife have co-evolved with our native plant species, our local species depend on them for food sources and habitat. For example, there are specialist butterflies and bees that utilize only one species (or genus) of plant to lay eggs or feed larvae. An example locally is the Monarch butterfly whose caterpillars can only consume milkweed. Some specialist bees pollinate only one species of plant, and without those plants, there are fewer native bees.
I am convinced. I have decided to incorporate native plants into my existing gardens. Now, where to start? First, remember that there is no need to build a garden from scratch. You can add native plants to an existing garden, which is what I am going to do.
Mikaela Boley recommends three steps to building a native garden or adding native plants to an existing garden.
The first step is to identify the purpose of the garden. Do you want an edible garden? A garden that supports local pollinators? A perennial garden that blooms throughout the seasons? A solution to problem areas, such as soggy soil or bare spots? Or do you simply want to reduce your lawn footprint? Let’s face it, lawns are a lot of work; a native garden is a solution to a number of challenges that lawns present.
After you have identified the purpose, the second step is to analyze the soil and area conditions—PH level, type of soil (loam, sandy or clay), amount of sun or shade, level of moisture (is it soggy? dry?), and soil nutrients. There are inexpensive soil tests available locally that identify the PH and the nutrient needs. You can also use the National Resources Conservation Service to find typical soil at your location.
The final step is to choose native plants based on the purpose and conditions that have been identified in the previous two steps. Native plants are defined as plants that existed locally in pre-colonial times.
There are a number of sources available to identify the local native plants on the Eastern Shore. There is a list of 417 local plants at https://www.allianceforthebay.org/plants/. Another online site for native plants (which includes soil and area recommendations) is the USFWS (US Fish and Wildlife Service) Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat & Conservation Landscaping.
All of these sources provide plants native to the Eastern Shore. For those interested in other geographical areas, a Google search will help you find the types of native plants in your area.
Finding the actual plants is usually not as simple as going to the local nursery. On the Eastern Shore—the Atkins Arboretum, Environmental Concern, and some commercial nurseries carry them. They can also be ordered online.
Fall is a good time for planting, but you can also spend the winter planning your new environmentally friendly garden.
Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.
