Home / Departments / Land Restoration / Native Plant Sale

Native Plant Sale

Shopper’s Guide to Native Plant Selection

Looking for plants to enhance your garden but not sure where to start?  Let us help you ask the right questions before you select your plants at the Native Plant Sale.  

Question:  What are the conditions of my site?

This is the most important question to ask. Each site varies one from the next. Looking at the site carefully will help you to determine which plants are best for your site.  Is it dry or wet?  Is there something present that would impede rainwater from reaching the site, like a large tree with a dense canopy or an overhang from an existing structure?  How much sun does the area get (morning, afternoon, more than 6 hrs, none at all)?   What is the soil like? Is it compacted? What type is it? Is it well-drained and sandy or heavy and slow to drain, like clay?

Most native plants require site specific conditions in order to thrive with little or no care. Asking these questions will help you focus on which plants are right for your site.

Conceptual Design:  Once you have determined the conditions of your site, it is time to create a concept diagram.

 A concept diagram will give you a general idea of what your garden will look like.  For example, the site has loamy soil, is moist in the spring, dry in the summer, and sunny for at least six hours per day. Perhaps the best garden suited for this site would be a sunny perennial garden.  Other areas may be shaded for most of the day, with good organic soil that is moist in the spring, and moist to dry in the summer.  This area would best be suited for a woodland garden.

Now that you have created a concept diagram you will be able to use that as a guide for your final design.  The final design will show details such as plant placement and plant type. This is the time to get creative. Forget about planting in a straight line, instead think about the soft, rounded patterns in nature. Plant in groupings rather than one of each plant; it will give your garden a more natural appearance. 

Be familiar with the size of the area you wish to plant.  Herbaceous plants can be planted relatively close together, as they are sometimes found in nature.  Understory shrubs and trees need room to spread their branches.  Planting too close will force the plants to compete for light and moisture.  Use your judgment and knowledge of the habit and spread of the trees and shrubs you choose for your site.