If you cherish this beautiful area where we live, then that must go hand in hand with having a love of our native plants and a wish for these plants to thrive and proliferate. Take a look at your own backyard, imagine where you might grow these wonderful plants and be active in ensuring that they are here for future generations.

The most obvious benefit of using native plants is the wildlife that will add you to their list of favorite dining places, particularly if you put the plants in the less travelled areas of your garden. Plant them in their rightful place, and once established they will need little maintenance (please notice the underline). Many will make great binders of unstable slopes and they can reduce flooding by controlling runoff. These are just a few of the many reasons for incorporating native plants into your landscape.

Before I talk about specific plants, I want to help those of you who are scratching your heads wondering where to start. Here are some steps to take before rushing out and buying the first native plant your eye focuses on.

Make a plan and, by implication, this has to mean getting to know your back yard. Believe me, planning ahead is much simpler than replanting and less expensive that replacing. Start by dividing your backyard into areas, using the following criteria:  

• Sun(more that 6 hours a day); Part Shade(2-6 hours); Shade(less than 2 hours)  
• Wet/Moist/Dry. Be aware of the seasonal differences, don’t forget it is the norm for us to get a summer drought. What is wet in spring could become bone dry by September. That is the joy of native plants, they cope. Many “imported” plants die of thirst, or need constant watering.
• Acid or Alkaline soil (most of us are the former)  
• Rocky/Sandy/Clay/Needs a Jack Hammer to break up  

Do you have power lines to consider, or existing trees. Do you have views that you don’t want blocked and/or, are there any other considerations that dictates what size the plant can ultimately be. Trust me, trying to keep a plant in check is difficult and time consuming, particularly on a steep slope; been there, done that.

I can’t stress enough the idea of the right plant or, more to the point, the right group of plants in the right place. Not only will you have to do much less work, but they will thrive and look so much happier.   

Creating a natural looking and pleasing landscape is not easy. Your aim is that it not feel contrived, in a very contrived way. Look around you and get inspiration from the natural association of plants growing in similar conditions. If you live up against “nature” pull in plants from the surrounding area; this will help make your boundary seem less abrupt.

It seems right to focus on plants that are especially beautiful at this time of year; Spring. I took inspiration for my suggestions by walking around our property and seeing what is looking particularly splendid.

Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) is my number one pick at the moment. It is the earliest shrub to show its white flowers and then, as a second treat, it produces very delicate light green leaves, which smell like cucumbers. It gets to 15’ and will grow in sun and part shade, dry or moist situations. With many of our native plants, these conditions are intertwined. Plant this in full sun and it will need moisture, in shade it can tolerate a drier soil. I like it planted just inside the forest canopy, as those early leaves light up the darker conifers. Hummingbirds and nectar loving birds appreciate this shrub and it is fire resistant.  

Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) has to be the best known spring flowering shrub. It reaches 6’, with dangling pink flowers and will tolerate sun/moist and part sun/drier conditions. Hummingbirds and butterflies delight in this plant and it is fire resistant. There are many cultivars of Ribes sanguineum and, although not strictly native, they can still have many of the same benefits. My favorite that I grow is Ribes sangineum ‘Hannaman’s White’.