Co-Creation
Well, isn’t that an interesting twist?
I signed up for the Master Gardener program so that I could create a master plan for our 3.5 acre yard. I had vision of azalea and rhododendron gardens along the pine trees, with curving walkways, areas of luscious perennials, and a few key exotic plants.
By the time I finished the twelve week course, I no longer desired a “status yard” —I desired a native habitat yard!
Images from the online catalog at Lauren’s Nursery Service
As we look at life blooming around us this spring, let us appreciate especially the plants native to our area. Let us see in the packera patch a native plant that gives life to our wildlife, rather than a weed. My favorite natives include:
Cinnamon fern, Blue-eyed grass, Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed, Swamp Milkweed, Columbine, Asters, Switchgrass, Monarda, Foam flower, Celandine Poppy, Oakleaf hydrangea, and…
MOST OF ALL: OAK TREES! They support more wildlife than any other plant. For details, see Doug Tallamy’s book “The Nature of Oaks” or watch a Doug Tallamy presentation here.
We have an opportunity to co-create as gardeners — to co-create our yards so that they align with the needs of the native wildlife, the birds, insects and more. And that’s what I’ll be doing this Eastertide: co-creating habitat to support life: planting oak trees, establishing a rain garden, and turning more lawn into native perennial meadows.
Instead of exotics, I’ll be shopping for natives. And doing what I can in one little patch of this beautiful planet to support wildlife.
For those interested, here are my favorite places to buy natives in Maryland:
SEEDS OF CHANGE is “an environmental and workforce development program at the Howard County Department of Corrections. In 2016, EcoWorks established an on-site native plant nursery operation where inmates learn about nursery operation and plant propagation. The plants are used in EcoWorks' environmental restoration projects around the County. The hands-on component is complemented by a sustainable landscaping curriculum. In 2018, 16 inmates graduated from the program with certificates. This low-cost, high return on investment program develops job skills and helps reduce recidivism.”
KOLLAR NURSERY in Harford County- almost to the Pennsylvania line- “specializes in container grown trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, native to Maryland and the eastern U.S., and we propagate most of what we grow. While we find great beauty in the diversity of plants from around the world and grow a few selected, noninvasive species, our first love is for our beautiful native wildflowers, and the well adapted trees and shrubs of our local fields, forests and wetlands.”
LAUREN’S GARDEN SERVICE in Glenelg, “carries a variety of native and locally grown perennials, shrubs, and trees. Our goal is to be a resource for native plant enthusiasts! You can use our Native Plant Library to research and and plan your garden, shop for native plants online, or visit us in-person to shop and ask questions of our knowledgeable staff. We love to share our passion for supporting pollinators with responsible and sustainable gardening practices.”
