IN THE GARDEN

By Doreen Trudel

Summer has arrived and it is time to bask in the sun with just a few routine garden chores to complete such as mowing lawns, watering, weeding and deadheading. During July and August most plants are best left on their own to grow in the warm weather so there is plenty of time to ponder other garden topics such as using native plants in our gardens.
Whether you are designing a new garden or adding to an existing landscape consider using native plants. These are plants that are either indigenous to our area or plants that have been introduced to the Pacific Northwest but have naturalized, becoming so common in the wild that they are often referred to as native. I include naturalized plants when I speak of native plants.

Native plants come in all forms from bulbs and herbaceous perennials, vines and ground covers to shrubs and trees. Going native does not mean you must abandon your David Austin roses or chop down your monkey puzzle tree. Native plants look appropriate in any type of garden and there is a native plant for every location, sun or shade, wet or dry.

These plants by definition are well suited to our climate. When choosing a site for natives you must follow the same guidelines used whenever you plant. The site conditions must be right for the plant. In this case the site must be as close to the native habitat as possible. Sun loving plants will not thrive in the shade and shade loving plants will not survive in full sun.

While walking or hiking this summer take along a guide to plants of the Pacific Northwest. Identify and take note of the plants you find particularly attractive which are growing in similar conditions to your garden. Here is my disclaimer. Do not pick, take cuttings, divide or up-root any plants in the wild on public or private property. It is important to keep rural ecosystems intact. Often plants taken from the wild initially require special care to survive so unless you have permission from the property owner to remove a specimen it is best to purchase it from a reputable native plant nursery. For a list of these nurseries in Washington state visit www.metroki.gov/ sponsored by King County. Type native plants in the search box and click on nursery listings.

Naturalistic gardening is a popular design style inspired from plants in their natural environment. Although cultivated plants are often used in this type of garden plan, native plants can be utilized effectively in this garden scheme. If you are designing a new garden or planning to renovate an existing one you should consider incorporating ideas of natural gardening. If you have followed this column over the last year many of the principles of natural gardening have been discussed such as right plant/right place, mulching and encouraging wild life. Introducing native plants to our gardens is a way to practice ecologically sound, water-wise gardening. For more details about incorporating these ideas in your garden there are a number of excellent books on the subject including; Gardening with Nature by James van Sweden, Ecological Gardening by Marjorie Harris, Natural Landscaping by Sally Roth, Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway, Naturalistic Gardening by Ann Lovejoy and finally Natural Gardening in Small Spaces by Noel Kingsbury.

While we are talking about native plants I must warn you about so-called native plants that are really introduced plants that have naturalized and are now considered noxious weeds. Some of these plants are available in nurseries but be aware that if you do not contain them they may take over your garden and your neighbor’s garden and possibly the field down the road. A few of these invasive plants are Cytisus scoparius (Scotch Broom), Ulex europaeus (gorse), Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife), Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) and Hedera helix (English ivy). If any of these names sound familiar and are plants you love, look for a different species and/or cultivar that is not invasive as not every member of a genus is so prolific in our climate.
This is just a brief introduction to native plants. With over 350 native plants available for use in the home garden there is not enough space in this column to discuss every plant or use.

This year’s 7th Annual Point Roberts Garden Tour on July 17 promises to be unique and interesting so mark you calendar and enjoy an afternoon visiting some private sights on the Point. You can purchase tickets at Nielson’s Building Center.

Next month we will go back into the garden and take cuttings for softwood propogation. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

Native Plants

Here is a list of native plants you might find in a local nursery. This is just a sampling. Some of these names may be familiar and already growing in your garden. Photographs of all of these plants are available in any native plant guide.

Perennials and bulbs: Camassia quamish (common Camas) Ertyhronium oregonum (white fawn lily), Aruncus dioicus (goat’s beard), Lupinus polyphyllus (large-leaved lupine), Allium cernutum (nodding onion), Aquilegia Formosa (red columbine), Asarum caudatum (wild ginger), Achillea millefolium (yarrow).

Ground covers: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick), Fragaria chiloensis (coastal strawberry), Sedum spathulifolium (stonecrop)
Shrubs: Rosa species (Nootka rose), Holodiscus discolor (ocean spray), Berberis aquifolium (tall Oregon grape), Philadelphus lewisii (mock orange), Ribes sanguineum (red-flowering currant), Physocarpus capitatus (pacific ninebark), Sambucus racemosa (red elderberry), Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon berry or service berry), Shepherdia Canadensis (soapberry), Lonicera ciliosa (orange honeysuckle), Gaultheria shallon (salal),Vaccinium uliginosum (bog blueberry), Kalmia microphylla (western bog laurel), Andromeda polifolia (bog rosemary), Viburnum edule (highbush cran-berry).

Trees: Quercus garryana (Gary oak), Acer circinatum (vine maple), Malus fusca (pacific crab apple), Arbutus menziesii (pacific madrone), Cornus (dogwood - nuttallii is native but subject to diseases so use a disease-resistant cultivar).