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Pondspectives with Mike

Cash in on Native Gardens, Part 2

Text and photo by Mike Garcia

In addition to saving water, native gardens provide food, water, protection and breeding grounds for native wildlife.

1. Site inventory
2. Site analysis
3. Native plant community research
4. Hardscape development
5. Plant selection

Site Inventory

Write down what is present on the property. What are the views from inside the home? Do you need to screen out undesirable neighbor views? Are there children or pets? Are there overhead utilities? Underground gas lines, house color, future additions or remodels, existing plants and hardscapes all are items to consider when doing the site inventory.

Site Analysis

Consider the reasons for creating a native garden. Do the owners want to attract wildlife or create habitat restoration? A big reason many people are looking at going native is to save water and reduce their water bills. Less maintenance saves money too. If children and pets are involved, safety and security are important. Outside entertaining and kitchen areas are very popular and should be noted and planned for accordingly. Knowing what the homeowner's motivation is for developing a native garden, the intended use and the potential interaction with the future garden are extremely important to understand at this phase of the project.

Native Plant Comunity Research

What plant community do I live in? How do I identify this plant community?

Take a look around the neighborhood. What plants are growing there? "Indicator" plants or volunteers provide an idea about what plants grow easily in the neighborhood. In very developed areas where the natives are all gone, you can use Internet search engines, such as Google, to search for "native plants" and your location.

Hardscape Development

The hardscape is the backbone of the native garden, and hardscape design is just as important as the plant design. Hardscapes are functional as well as aesthetic. They might combine paths, mounds, swales, dry creek beds, rocks, boulders, decomposed granite and mulch.

Plant Selection

Traditional non-native gardens typically are chosen based on plant appearance alone. Native plants are chosen from a broader perspective: How will these plants work together with the hardscape?

When choosing native plants, think in terms of plant groupings combined with the hardscape placed thoughtfully throughout the landscape. After deciding on a plant palette, set out the plants according to the plan before you dig the holes.

Place the plant with mature growth in mind. Leave space to make future maintenance possible and allow for future growth.  Chose plants that like the native soil you are working with.

Keep safety in mind with the design. If plants will be arranged by the driveway, do not obstruct future views.

Design a naturalistic grouping in a pot as an accent in areas that cannot be planted. Throw some wild flower seed in empty spaces to add visual interest until the native plants take off.

Always group plants that share the same watering requirements.

Combine native and non-native plants when designing or retrofitting a landscape, but be sure to consider irrigation, soil compatibility and microclimate. Native and non-native plants can coexist aesthetically and create an unlimited combination of color, texture and form.

Keep in mind that the human eye usually is drawn to multiple scenes interacting rather than one thing going on at the moment. For example, consider a dry creek bed overflowing with beautiful sage growing along its boundaries. Paths created with decomposed granite lend to a more natural and informal style while flagstone and pavers create a formal feel.

Reuse excavated path soil to create interesting mounds, thus minimizing the environmental impact of the project. This also creates vertical interest and visual dynamics; it creates focal points that evoke curiosity in the garden.

Irrigation

Perform a soil test when evaluating a site. Study where the water drains and shape and grade the site to retain water there. Water falls into two categories: Water collection and water dispersion. 

Many opinions exist for irrigating the native garden. Is there an already existing sprinkler system?  Does it need retrofitting?  How about drip irrigation and smart controllers?  Some owners prefer to hand water. Most find that smart controllers adequately keep their native gardens in tip top shape because the controllers water more during warm weather, less during cool weather and none when it rains.

Drip irrigation comes from Israel and was invented more than 50 years ago. Drip tubing is laid directly over the ground and covered with mulch.

Native Elements in the Landscape

Another consideration in the landscape is the use of deadwood, which offers a critical habitat for many animals and beneficial insect species. Birds gain food, shelter and nesting places. Deadwood cools the ground and acts as an insulation blanket.

Deadwood also functions as natural garden art. It looks great in a dry creek bed or a pond.

Water in the Landscape

Water is a vital element in a balanced native garden. Providing fresh water offers an important resource for garden animals. It keeps the garden alive with birds and other critters, and water is an amazing magnet for butterflies. Place resting rocks or other spots in the water for birds and butterflies to perch on.

Water features offer the only interactive part of a garden that creates sound, sight and much needed water to quench the thirst of nature’s creatures. The sound of running water attracts hummingbirds and other bird species. Water gardens bring the kind of wildlife into the yard that allow homeowner to experience a deeper connection with nature and soothe their souls. Installing a water garden in the native garden brings in elements of granite boulders and rocks.

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