Choosing native plants sounds like some tricky, scientific logic. Don’t worry. It’s one of the best ways to get started in your green thumb adventure. These tips will help you find native plants and get them in your garden.
You will learn all about native plants from how to find native plants to native plants examples.
Once you learn these tips, you are going to be a pro at finding native plants (and your garden will also be amazing).
This post is all about native plants tips that every beginner gardener should know.
Have you ever been to a nursery and didn’t know which plants to buy? Surely, you don’t need ALL of the plants! Or, you went to your local big-box retailer’s garden section and thought that you can choose any of these plants for your garden? If this sounds familiar, follow these native plant tips.
1. What is a Native Plant?
What is a native plant? These are plants that thrive in the zip code YOU.LIVE.IN. Your zip code is located within a growing zone. Buying plants based on your growing zone takes the guesswork out of what to plant.
As a rule of thumb, always read the plant guide that is stuck inside your plant. Every plant comes with a set of instructions. The little plastic tag that’s stuck inside the container of your new plant explains exactly what it is, how much to water it, and how much sun it needs. You still need to follow those instructions.
For example, you find out that you live in zone 8. You visit your local big-box store and you find a hosta that thrives in zones 7-9. Cool! Now you’ve identified a plant that thrives in your zone. Next, read the tag to find out how to take care of the plant. Now you can start planning the layout of your garden based on the sun, shade, drainage, and other factors.
2. What is a Growing Zone?
A growing zone is a geographic area you can use to determine which plants will flourish. Find out your garden zone by researching garden zones and entering your zip code in a finder. This invaluable step will keep you from choosing the wrong plants for your zone and spending unnecessary money.
3. Where do you find them?
Your absolute best option is finding native plants in your local nursery. Nurseries tend to have plants that they have grown in greenhouses that thrive in your area, as well as plants from specialty nurseries. Some gardeners will tell you they prefer plants from their local nursery, and others prefer to buy their plants a little cheaper from a big-box retailer. Regardless of which option you choose, ask questions about the plant and please read the plant tag for care and instructions.
4. Care Instructions
This may seem like a no-brainer to an experienced gardener, but I have asked these questions myself. Have I mentioned reading the tag yet? Please read the plant tag. You will get experienced gardeners that will tell you the methods they use to take care of their plants. That advice may be completely valid, but not universal.
Let’s use the hosta example from above. Your Aunt has a yard full of beautiful hostas and suggests that you buy some to give your yard a lush look. Well, your Aunt didn’t tell you that the hosta she recommended loves a slightly deeper shaded area, and you were planning to put them in an area that has direct sunlight the majority of the day.
Reading your plant tags will save you a tremendous amount of frustration and money!
5. Variety
Absolutely not! Native plants give you a good start, and they will likely survive in your area. But, if someone gives you a plant from East Asia and you live in Boston, it may require a different set of instructions to care for the plant.
You may come across an instance where your zone falls within the recommended zone. Still, check the hardiness information located on the tag. The tag may state “Hardy to -10°F to 0°F” (harsh example). If you know that your area has temperatures that go below -10°, this plant may not be a good choice. When in doubt, read your plant tags!
6. Quantity
This is a valid question. You will need to know how big your area is prior to buying plants. You don’t want to guess how big your area is because you may have to buy more plants or return plants you don’t need.
Your plant tag will tell you exactly how far apart to place your plants. For example, a plant tag may state that the plant has to be 2-3 feet apart. Take into account that the instructions say to dig the hole 2 x the width of the pot. Measure 2 -3 feet from the hole that you dig.
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7. Maintenance
Nature has a way of taking care of itself, but you should also read your plant tag. Sounds like a broken record, right? You can make this easier for you by growing similar plants together or in groups.
If I plant 4 azaleas together, and I know that I need to fertilize them every 14 days, that makes my schedule much easier. Or if I have 2 drought-resistant ferns that only require 2 cups of water one day a week, it’s a no-brainer. Make it easy for you!
You can have a beautiful garden full of native plants with a few others sprinkled in between other plants. Don’t stress yourself out by buying everything you see. Plan your space, and most importantly, read your tags!!
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