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The Deep Middle


Gardening & writing in the prairie echo

Adding Native Plants to an Established Bed

3/20/2020

5 Comments

 
As a garden designer I prefer to start from scratch -- I have a vision that's built from a client's vision, and it's often simpler to have a clean slate. Sometimes it's even more cost effective and ensures greater success. But for some clients the bones of their space works as is, especially many of the plants. So following are some things I may discuss with such a client on site and I hope they help you plan any changes you intend to make this year or next.
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1) The first thing we need to know is what you like about the space and what you don't. What are some of the aesthetics you prefer, the textures and areas, the paths or seating areas. What plants are you less fond of, what management issues are you having, what are your goals for the space long term, from ecological function to maintenance to how the use of the space has evolved over time. Making lists are fantastic here.

2) Then I ask point blank: what plants do you want to keep, what plants are you fine seeing removed. This step is fun because it gives us a chance to think big and dream (and it reminds me of those weekends when, as a kid, my mom came into our rooms and closets with a trash bag and said "let's get cracking"). Often the plants that stay have sentimental value, provide a specific aesthetic experience the client values, or is a behaved species that doesn't have to go right now (even if it's not doing much for wildlife). On the other hand, plants that can go often look worse as the summer progresses, have little interest for humans and wildlife, or are aggressive.

3) If we're removing plants the garden design and install process may take longer. This isn't the case for shrubs and trees that can be cut down and ground up, but for aggressive species or weedy areas it often is the case. For older gardens that have gotten out of control, it can be beneficial to spend an entire growing season (mid spring to mid fall) continually removing unwanted plants. What this means is we may be pulling or spraying, allowing seeds to germinate again and again over months to exhaust the seed back in the soil so maintenance after install is a little easier. (Some plants with underground root stores can only be killed with spraying, so be prepared for the means justifying the ends.) Weeding the first year after install is the #1 issue for any new garden, and if we can keep on it then -- and even curtail it before -- we are doing ourselves and the new plants a big favor.

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4) Of course, now is also the time to think about fixing retaining walls or sidewalks or washed out areas with drainage issues. This is often where we'll contract with a specialist. Any new hardscaping is best done before planting and will even alter how the plant design will turn out and mesh with the space.

5) Speaking of drainage and soil, there's also other site conditions to consider, especially when older plants are removed. Erased trees or shrubs may create new growing conditions -- think sunlight and water availability in the soil -- which changes our plant pallet. Even the removal of aggressive species plays a role, as well as if we leave those species in place because we'll want to choose aggressive natives that can hopefully better compete with the in-situ plants.

There will always be other aspects that crop up during a site visit as well as when the project develops, but this should help you think about where you want to go and what the process will be whether you work with a designer or DIY the garden.

5 Comments
James McGee
3/29/2020 03:28:37 pm

Sometimes, having existing plants at a site is a plus. Matrix species can moderate environmental extremes allowing plants that need a more protected environment to thrive. In a native plant garden I tend, each year I add blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium species), pale-spiked lobelia (Lobelia spicata), puccoon (Lithospermum), sedges (Carex), Seneca Snakeroot (Polygala senega), Skullcap (Scutellaria leonardii), violet wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea), or yellow star grass (Hypoxis hirsuta) in between a matrix of prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). I add these plants by sowing seed or planting divisions from my home garden. There are a few prairie violets already in the garden I tend at this local nature center. I would like more prairie violets, if I could only convince the nature center to purchase them. I don’t have prairie violet in my home garden for lack of permission to collect seed from areas where I know they grow locally.

I understand the battle with weeds and aggressive natives. I spend much more time on weeding than planting. My ideal would be to start with a garden that has had weeds removed for a few years and matrix species established with enough interstitial spacing to add smaller plants.

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deck builders richmond va link
10/12/2021 11:08:43 pm

As we wind down the growing season, now is a great time to take stock of your new prairie garden or established prairie landscape.

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Fence Contractors Denver link
10/14/2021 02:07:09 am

As the public becomes more concerned about the environment, the interest in the preservation
and restoration of native plant communities increases as well. Native plants are valued for their
economic, ecological, genetic, and aesthetic benefits in addition to the growing societal belief in
their intrinsic value as living species.

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Eco-Friendly Nano-Carbon Bio-Stimulant link
10/27/2021 01:09:33 am

Adding native plants to an already established bed has tons of benefits. Aside from them already adapted to the weather and other factors, they also "connect us to our land's heritage", and a lot more.

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11/30/2021 08:57:11 am

I really enjoy reading through on this internet site

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    Benjamin Vogt's thoughts on prairie gardening in Nebraska. With a healthy dose of landscape ethics, ecophilosophy, climate change,  and social justice.

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prairie inspired  design

Lincoln & Omaha, Nebraska

Monarch Gardens is a prairie-inspired design firm. We specialize in lawn to meadow conversions as well as urban shade gardens.

Employing 95% native plants, our designs are climate resilient, adaptable, and provide numerous ecological benefits while artistically reflecting wilder landscapes.
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