It started innocently enough, a Saturday meeting of the Maxwell Park garden club at the home of Jane Stallman. We enjoyed refreshments, then settled down to learn about native plants, plants that love to live in the wilder areas, sheltering and feeding our local birds, animals, insects and bees. Little did I know that I would soon be converting my ugly, unwatered so-called lawn to a lovely native garden, thanks to the expertise of Steven Cochrane, a local naturalist.
So what’s the big deal about putting natives in your yard? What’s wrong with those hybrids we pick up at local nurseries? Plenty! These designer plants, though beautiful, require lots of water, fertilizer and pesticides that flow into our watershed. Mother Nature’s plants require little maintenance or cultivation and thrive with little water.
As urban sprawl takes up more of their natural habitat, we lose the company of native creatures. Each home that has a native garden creates a haven for local wildlife. They can locate these gardens, using them to make up for lost habitat. Welcoming nature into your home space is beautiful, pleasant, nurturing and beneficial to all of us.
I asked folks on our Yahoo group if they had native gardens, received a number of replies, and set out on a garden tour. I saw front yard plantings on Fairfax, Best, Brookdale, Morse, Allendale, and Wyman, and many more as I made my way through the neighborhood. They are easy to spot. Look for delicate, vibrant plants nestled next to large rocks, accented with crushed granite.
A gardener on Best created a home for North American butterflies. He points out that most people are not aware that each species of butterfly requires a specific host plant on which they must lay their eggs. The caterpillars hatch and eat the leaves of the host plant. Merely planting flowering nectar plants in the garden does not create a home space for the butterflies.
Beth, on Brookdale near Monticello, said she wanted a garden that wouldn’t take much water or maintenance, would help stop erosion on her steep lot, and would attract hummingbirds and bees. She does some maintenance work about six times a year. It took about a year for the entire garden to look mature.
Sarah and Josh on Fairfax had their garden put in this spring by Pete Veilleux of East Bay Wilds ( HYPERLINK "mailto:pete\@eastbaywilds.com" \t "_blank" pete\@eastbaywilds.com) whom they saw on the Maxwell Park referrals site. They wanted an interesting all-season garden in terms of foliage, color, berries, and texture. They water twice a week, but plan to do so monthly once the plants mature. They took what was once a lawn full of dry grass and transformed it into a beautiful, soothing native garden that welcomes them home at the end of each day.
So, what are you waiting for? Invite some natives into your garden!
Sarah Hipolito can be reached at shipolito\@sbcglobal.net
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