I’ve written a few pieces for Wild Ones on native plants to consider adding to home gardens. I like writing these pieces because I learn about native plants and the benefits they bring to the landscape. So as the temperatures are close to zero and a few feet of snow covers the ground, I’ll read through a few pieces I wrote and pick some plants to add to my garden.
My gardens are at best are in partial shade. I live in a forest. The soil is a sandy loam. At least one rabbit lives under the shed and we share this property with deer. I find toads in the gardens and that tells me I have a healthy ecosystem, at least at the ground level. A frog stays in our tiny fountain during the hottest part of summer. We have a few bumblebees and a variety of birds–chickadees, tufted titmouse, nuthatch, goldfinch, bluejays, woodpeckers, and cardinals. In summer, red-breasted grosbeaks and hummingbirds raise their broods on the property. With all that being said, I plan on adding the following plants to extend my gardens’ blooming times and feed the wildlife that make our property their home. Many, if not all these plants, are supposed to be deer and rabbit resistant. I do need to stay diligent in applying deer and rabbit repellant. Miss one dose, and the garden is gone.
Spring:
- Jacob’s Ladder
- Spring Beauty
- Yellow Trout Lily
- Shooting Star
- Wild Blue Indigo
Summer:
- Tall Bellflower
Fall:
- Western Sunflower
- Woodland Sunflower
Winter:
- Red Twig Dogwood
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