How to Get Started
If you're not starting from scratch, but have a landscape already established, start with replacing plants that are dead, dying, or not thriving, with natives. You may be amazed at how many of the same aesthetic characteristics you can find in native plants, to replace the non-native varieties. An excellent resource for this swapping method is the book Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants, published by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. If you do this gradually, a few plants every year, you'll save money and steadily increase the wildlife value of your garden.
If you are starting from scratch, follow these general steps to create your natural landscape:
- Find out which species are native in your area. Consult a list,
or take a hike in natural areas near your house (bring an identification
manual). Our Resources page is one starting point.
- Look at the area around your house: observe sun and shade, soil
types, and moisture levels. Research the plants that will do well
in these conditions. Keeping the above in mind, pick plant varieties that you like, or
according to the species of wildlife you want to attract.
- Make sure that at least some of the plants you choose are straight
species, and not cultivars, of a plant *. The genetic diversity of
straight species reduces risk and maximizes the plant’s adaptability.
- Plant a multi-layered garden with trees, shrubs, grasses, and herbaceous
plants (preferably with different bloom seasons); this will be most
conducive to wildlife.
- Take care of your new plantings until established. Ensure consistent moisture, keep invasive plants out of the area, and protect plants from deer and rabbits.
* Look at the two-word Latin name of the plant. If it is followed by a word in single quotations, the plant is a cultivar. If not, it’s the straight species. For example, Helenium autumnale is the straight species, Helenium autumnale ‘Mardi Gras’ is a cultivar of that species.
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