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NATIVE PLANT GARDEN DESIGN HOW TO

Funding was provided in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund, administered by Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. This project was also completed in partnership with the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape. LGNC’s Landscaping for Communities and Wildlife Program was generously funded by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. Native plants in the yards can be beautiful year-round and a good design allows natives to fit into any residential landscape. Private yards collectively comprise the largest green space in most cities and provide great potential for increasing wildlife friendly, native plant habitat. The downloadable version of Native Plants for the Small Yard contains all nine design templates as well as other gardening information pertinent to native plants. The Guide also offers suggestions for plant alternatives to accommodate varying site conditions (sunlight and moisture). Recommended spacing between plants is shown as dots on the templates. The templates include:Įach design template is overlaid on a grid that can be expanded or contracted to meet the dimensions of a person’s garden area. The nine templates in the guidebook developed for common yard areas incorporate the ideas described above and take into consideration plant size, bloom times, as well as sun and moisture conditions. The results often look better than when a lot of different things are mixed together at once. Another pointer: keep things simple by planting swaths of a few different plants and colors together. We also recommend more informal, curved garden edges since they are easier to maintain over time. For those new to native plants, we suggest starting small by introducing a few natives over time, which is both economical and allows a person to get to know each plant well. Home gardens should suit personal tastes and lifestyle, but sometimes people need a starting point.

Guidance on flower garden design for the small yard, including nine different design templates that can be used as is or modified.

Information on the best native plants for small spaces, as well as visual guides for common yard weeds and invasive plants and.

The guidebook – Native Plants for the Small Yard – includes:

NATIVE PLANT GARDEN DESIGN HOW TO

The guide features native plants that will work well for the resident with the small yard and provides practical examples for how to include native plants in the landscape that look nice, are easy to care for, and also support the local ecology. Lehigh Gap Nature Center, located in Slatington, Pennsylvania, has developed a practical native plant garden guidebook for residents. But there are many beautiful natives that compliment a residential yard and also provide ecological benefits. Unfortunately, native plants have developed something of a bad rap among homeowners as messy and hard to manage plants that do not fit in with the neighborhood, especially for those with a smaller yard. Social scientists have looked at how people feel about their yards, and their research shows that preferences are determined mostly by people’s desire to fit in with the neighbors.

Because a native garden can appear unkempt and lacking intention to some sensibilities, a sign identifying it as native plantings and perhaps even tags identifying individual plant species can be persuasive.By Maureen Sundberg on Novemin Gardening Basics, Landscape Design, Native Plants Text by Kate Brandes.

Even if you live in a developed and urban area, a native garden can provide welcome visual relief from the regimentation and an oasis for wildlife.

Repeated use of one or two varieties will add continuity to your planting.

Cluster or mass plants rather than distributing them as individuals.

In keeping with the natural ambiance, consider a twig-built arbor or other structure constructed or woven from natural materials.

Natural meadows don’t require a focal point but a central point of interest can enhance your garden design.

When you choose which natives to plant, in addition to the traditional garden design considerations, take into account whether they are favorable or essential to birds and pollinators.

Use curved or meandering paths throughout to keep beds at a manageable size.

But grasses can look messy, so use them as a backdrop for larger-leafed and more colorful plants.

Grasses are a staple of native planting and their root systems form a tight matrix that discourages weed growth.

Here are some tips to help you balance those compromises.