Gardeners sometimes have difficulty selecting native plants for their gardens and landscapes. Part of this is expectation. Landscapers, landscape designers, and garden centers have sold us on several aesthetic ideas and engage in practices that make native plant landscaping harder to pull off. First (see my recent blog entry "Which is better?") we are told that plants that sustain no damage from insects or other creatures are best. Yes, it is true that native insects, for example, have evolved to recognize and exploit native plants. They generally leave non-native plants alone. But I view this "as a feature, not a bug" (pun intended). Using native plants means that your yard and garden can support native critters. English ivy, grass, and crape myrtles cannot support them (we inherited a few crape myrtles with our house and I wince when I see them being newly planted-nothing seems to eat them!). We have also been sold the idea that flowering plants must flower for a long time, be relatively sturdy, and provide long-lasting color...and many native plants do not. And there is the idea of "four-season interest," that is, that worthy plants must have some feature that attracts the eye year round. Lastly, in terms of practices, we feel limited by what is in big box stores and nurseries-many gardeners and landscapers don't know of sources for native plants, so don't use them.
But the second part is knowing which plants to select, and where to get them. Well, the Virginia Native Plant Society can help you out. You can download free pdf's of several regional plant guides at:
https://vnps.org/virginia-native-plant-guides/
These guides provide information on native plants for your region, habitat, planting, and growing and give you source information to buy them! Your yard does not have to be 100% native, but even a few native plants can helps support native creatures.
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