We are happy to celebrate and promote Ohio Native Plant Month here at M.J. Design during April—and really, all year round for us!
Native plants aren’t just beautiful, they are essential to our environment. Since they occur naturally, chances are they’re drought tolerant and don’t need much water once established and adapted to the soil. Native plants also require little or no fertilizing or pesticide use, while providing food for birds, insects and wildlife.
Also, having a mixture of native plants in your garden provides much needed biodiversity—decreasing the less-desirable insects, and attracting more beneficial pollinators like butterflies, bees and birds. These effects will help promote growth in neighboring flowers, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and other crops. In some areas, our native plants can even help control soil erosion and filter ground water.
Whenever possible we strive to incorporate native plants into our landscape design plans, thus providing clients with the best, long-lasting and beneficial plants grown locally. Providing a variety of bloom times, color throughout the season, foliage, and a range of sizes are just some of the positive results. Native plants in the garden can also help reduce invasive plants and provide weed control. We find that leaving the hardy native plant structure standing throughout the winter, as opposed to cutting it down in the fall, provides a much-needed food source and habitat for wildlife, while adding interest to the landscape.
Keep in mind, just because a plant is native to a certain area, doesn’t mean that it can just be planted anywhere/anytime and be expected to thrive.
It is important to consider:
The best time of the season to plant/transplant.
Does the plant need sun, shade, moist or dry soil?
Consulting your local grower or landscape professional for growing tips.
Interested in creating a Native garden at your home or business?
“As gardeners and stewards of our land, we have never been so empowered and the ecological stakes have never been so high. We have a moral obligation to create local oases with how we manage our yards.“ – Doug Tallamy
This first photo is a native garden planted in 2017—designed and installed by M.J. Design for a client.
Below is the same garden 2 years after being installed. With proper soil preparation, plant selection, and proper care, it doesn’t take long for a native garden to grow and thrive.
Plants included in the above:
Joe Pye Weed ( Eupatorium “Gateway”), Butterfly Weed ( Asclepias Turberosa), Switchgrass (Panicum Shenandoah), False Indigo (Baptisia Australis), Conflower (Echinacea), Thread leaf Bluestar (Amsonia Bubrichtii), Early Sunflower, (Heliopsis Helianthoides), Rattle Snake Master, Brown Eye Susan (Rudbeckia) Lambs Ear.