The Ecological Gardener’s New Year’s Resolutions
Grow native plants. Choose regional species that support local insects and birds. Doug Tallamy’s list of keystone plant species for Lepidoptera is a good place to start. Include many different kinds of native plants in your garden; a diverse palette will attract a greater variety of native insects and birds. Research plants’ native habitats and match them to your own growing conditions – right plant right place is still the best advice. Once established, native plants will thrive in the local growing conditions with which they have evolved.
Rethink the lawn. A patch of lawn is nice, but unless you need play space for children, or it’s required by your HMO, eliminate as much as you can and replace it with plants that are more diverse and that will support bees, butterflies, moths, skippers, and other beneficial insects. Use organic methods to care for the turf areas that you keep – no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and no irrigation. Encourage low-growing native and non-native “invaders” such as violets, pussytoes and white clover. Consider a “bee” lawn which consists of low-and slow-growing native grass species and pollinator plants.
Promote healthy soil. Start a compost pile. Compost is the best soil amendment there is. It breaks up clay soil, supports microbial life that helps plants accept nutrients, offers protection from diseases, and helps soil retain moisture. Add an inch to garden beds each year and work it into new planting areas. If fertilizer is needed, use organic products such as bone meal and blood meal. Remember however, that some meadow and roadside plants need a lean soil and will grow tall and lanky in a nutrient-rich one. When adding new plants, consider no-dig or minimal disturbance methods which preserve soil structure.
Use living/green/natural mulches. Cover bare soil with mulch which reduces runoff and compaction, suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and improves soil structure as it breaks down. Instead of shredded bark mulch, which often packs down and keeps water from entering the soil, mulch with arborists’ wood chips or leaves. Better yet, plant low-growing plants (preferably native) that cover the soil but don’t compete with other plants. Except for trees, shrubs, and large perennials including those that require good air circulation, plant most species closer than the recommended spacing so they fill in more quickly and cover the soil. Plugs or small plants are often a better choice than larger plants.
Lighten your footprint. Maintain your garden in an environmentally responsible way that protects the soil, air, and water. Switch from gasoline to battery powered lawn mowers, trimmers and other equipment and use hand tools whenever possible. Collect rainwater and install a rain garden to reduce runoff. Plant drought-tolerant species. Keep nighttime outdoor lighting to a minimum. Consult the International Dark Sky Association for best outdoor light fixtures.
Eliminate the use of chemicals. Strive for a system that depends on natural organisms that balance each other. Chemical sprays kill beneficial as well as harmful insects. Use natural or least toxic methods to deal with any pests you might have. Learn to tolerate chewed leaves since they’re likely supporting Lepidoptera larvae. Toads, frogs and salamanders are very sensitive to chemicals, and even light applications can kill them. Birds can die from eating insects poisoned with pesticides. Choose disease resistant cultivars and selections so long as their pollinator potential is not compromised.
Create safe habitats for wildlife. Invite beneficial insects, birds, and amphibians into your garden by providing food, shelter, water, and nesting sites. Leave the leaves for over-wintering insects. Leave hollow-stemmed plants for nesting sites for native bees and seed heads for birds. Provide water year-round for birds with a birdbath, fountain or if space permits, a backyard pond. If possible, include a waterfall or bubbler to attract more birds. Dense vegetation provides shelter and nesting sites. Make brush piles with fallen branches and stack logs which will decay and provide homes for insects. Rock piles also provide habitat for some wildlife species.
Remove invasive plants. Use least-harmful methods such as pulling, smothering, and in the case of annuals and biennials, removal of flowers and seed heads. For persistent species, carefully spray or paint freshly cut stems or trunks with brush killer. Replace invasives with appropriate natives.
Note: The basis for this article is “The Ecological Garden Blueprint,” a Joe Lamp’l podcast.
Resources:
Darke, Rick and Doug Tallamy, The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the
Home Garden, 2014
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Planting for Wildlife in Northern Virginia, 2020
Norris, Kelly, New Naturalism, 2021
Plant NOVA Natives, Native Plants for Northern Virginia, 2022
Rainer, Thomas and Claudia West, Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for
Resilient Landscapes, 2015
Swearingen, Jil W. and Judith P. Fulton, Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, 2022
Tallamy, Douglas W., Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, 2009
and Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Backyard, 2020
Weaner, Larry and Thomas Christopher, Garden Revolution, 2016
Centennial Garden Club
Nancy Arrington
January 11, 2024
Comentários