“GO NATIVE GARDEN” signs are placed throughout Brandermill, promoting growing plants native to our region.
As the weather warms and winter comes to an end, the plants seem to regain their life. Trees begin to grow leaves and flowers begin to bloom. With the change in seasons, gardeners of Virginia prepare to sow their seeds.
Native plants have existed in the same area for thousands of years. Because they have been present in the ecosystems for so long, pollinators and other wildlife rely on them and thrive when they are present.
Plants grow best in the areas they evolved in.
“Native plants are well adapted to local environmental conditions, maintain or improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, and often require less fertilizer and pesticides than many alien plants. These characteristics save time and money and reduce the amount of harmful run-off threatening the aquatic resources of our streams, rivers, and estuaries.”
The Virginia Master Gardener Association provides information and resources to gardeners across the state. According to master gardener Carter Morrison, implementing plants from far away regions into your garden won’t benefit the local ecosystem as much as native plants.
“When you bring in a plant that’s an ornamental from somewhere else, especially the further away it is; like China and Europe, our wildlife and pollinators are not used to it yet. Increasing the amount of natives we have in our area supports our ecosystem in a way that ornamentals from other places in the world can’t,” said Morrison.
There are a wide variety of native plants to choose from when planning a garden. Some native species that thrive in the Piedmont region of Virginia include common milkweed, wild columbine, blue mistflower, sneezeweed, and mountain mint. Morrison praises the benefits of planting natives.
“I really like to see that activity in my yard, like native bees and butterflies. Milkweed is really fun for kids because it’s for the monarch butterflies, which are really easy to spot,” Morrison said.
The Virginia Master Gardener Association and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources provide information regarding the caretaking of native plants. Additionally, the Virginia Master Gardener Association organizes events, such as seed swaps, in which gardeners exchange seeds and information.
By opting to plant native plants, gardeners of all levels can protect their local ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.
