Giving Native Plants A Second Look

I have become more and more intrigued with gardens designed with native plants. You may be thinking, native plants are messy and boring. The appeal is not necessarily in their showy flowers, although some have very unique flowers and textures, but in their ability to thrive in natural conditions with minimal care. I am not a purist by any means but integrating natives into your mixed borders just makes sense to me.

My goal is to visit at least one local nursery that specializes in native plants every time I travel. Business trips are much more difficult since we hardly see the light of day. On a recent trip to Tucson, Arizona, I visited my first native plant nursery, Civano Nursery.

About Civano Nursery

Civano Nusery is situated at the entrance of the Civano Development, a sustainable housing community on the Southeast side of Tucson. I was in search of a local nursery that specializes in Arizona and Sonoran Desert native plants. This had to be one of the most colorful nurseries I have ever visited. Although, I shouldn’t be surprised since most desert themes are very rich in color.

The staff were super friendly and took the time to educate me on some of the Arizona natives. A few of my favorites were the desert willow, “octopus” agave, and ocotillo. Ocotillo is a very distinctive desert shrub with thorny spikes that rise out of the ground up to 15 feet tall. During the drought season, this shrub looks dead, but once the rain hits, green leaves suddenly appear and bright, red tubular flowers appear in the spring. The nursery used the ocotillo poles as fencing to keep the rabbits out of the garden. >>More Civano Nursery plant pics

Not All Bugs Are Pests

Soldier Beetle

When controlling pests in your yard, take the path of least toxicity. Not all bugs are harmful or cause damage to the plants in your garden. Beneficial insects, like the ones mentioned below, actually prey on the pests you are trying to get rid of. Pesticides, whether organic or synthetic, can be toxic to humans, beneficial insects, the pests they eat, and other predators like birds, frogs, fish, and cats to name a few.

I recently had aphids all over my Euphorbias earlier this spring. At first, I pinched them between my fingers every morning before work. Over the next couple of weeks, the colonies seemed to double . . . then triple. I reluctantly pruned the chartruese brachts (flowers) in hopes of bringing the population under control. Much to my displeasure, the colonies started migrating to the neighboring Euphorbias. I finally decided to selectively spray the brachts that were about to be smothered by aphids. Then one morning, I discovered the aphids had been replaced with a dozen Soldier Beetles.

Hierarchy of Pest Control

I’ll be honest, taking the path of least toxicity takes patience, a basic understanding of your garden, and commitment to healthy practices. Creating a healthy, toxic-free yard benefits not only beneficial wildlife, but also your pets, your family, your pocket book, and the environment. I’m not a crazed environmentalist preaching for major life changes overnight. I speak from experience that going “toxic-free” is a process that you should take one day at a time. As you come across pests in your yard, start with the least-toxic method listed below.

1. PREVENTION - use native plants, look for disease resistant varieties, annual vegetable crop rotation
2. PHYSICAL - remove whatever pests are eating, hand picking, pruning, blast bugs with the hose, traps
3. BIOLOGICAL - attract natural predators such as birds, beneficial insects, or even bats
4. CHEMICAL - organic or synthetic pesticides (hopefully this article persuades you to take the least toxic path available)

Beyond the Basic Storage Shed

Modern-Shed by Grey Design

This modern storage shed is just one of 5 models by Grey Design. This is the most stylish shed I have come across on the web and you have a choice of eco-friendly building materials. The Garden Shed is great for storing bikes, lawnmowers, and other garden necessities.

Visit Modern-Shed for a list of materials, different models, shipping, customer photos, and more.

An Edible Garden On Wheels For the Eco-conscious

Food Map Container by Food Map Design

This Food Map Container is a stylish way to grow veggies, or any plant for that matter, on small patios. The rubber-caster wheels allow for easy positioning to optimize growing conditions as the weather changes. The container is made from 100% post-consumer High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and the powder-coated frame is made from 40-100% recycled steel.

Shop Food Map Design for more sizes from $205

Help Stop the Spread of Bird Disease

Prevention is key to stop the spread of bird diseases to humans and other birds. Backyard bird feeding has been a favorite pastime for many homeowners. However, birds can carry various diseases that can be passed along to other birds and sometimes to humans through their saliva and feces. >>What To Do If You See A Sick Bird

Birds can become sick after eating leftover feed that has become moldy and from bird poop that piles up around the feeder. Promote a healthy feeding environment for birds, and you for that matter, by routinely cleaning your feeders. >>About Birds and Bird Feeding

Feeder Care

• Clean feeders once every 2 weeks or more often if you have heavy traffic.
• Wash your feeders thoroughly in soapy water then soak or rinse in a solution of 1 parts bleach to 9 parts water.
• Completely dry before refilling with bird seed.
• Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned every 3 to 5 days when you refill the nectar.
• Remove any excess seed that accumulates on the ground below the feeder.

Birds play an important role in ecological balance by propogating plant life and controlling insects. A healthy population is vital in maintaining other natural resources. Whether you live in urban, suburban, or rural areas, there are birds that need your help. >>Getting Started: What You Can Do

More Safe Feeding Resources

• Safe Bird Feeding
• Is Backyard Bird Feeding Helping or Hurting?
• National Wildlife Health Center
• Feeder Placement and Landscaping

Birds For Natural Pest Control

Attracting birds to your backyard is not only fun for birdwatching but can also serve as natural pest control. Spring is a time when migrating birds return to our yards to enjoy the warm weather. However, so do the many unwanted pests that prey on the new growth of our precious plants. Don’t get me wrong, not all bugs are bad. Actually, 95% of all insects are beneficial or harmless to people. So keep the insecticides on the shelf and reach for the birdseed instead (see also Other Bird Foods).

Insect-eating Birds

Most birds that visit your feeders are not interested in eating seed, but rather the live insects and other cold-blooded vertebrates that are flooding your yard come spring. Remember, not all insects are bad so get rid of that ugly bug-zapper and let nature do its thing.

• Crawling insects: Blackbirds, bluebirds, sparrows, crows, wrens, cardinals, bobolinks, and more
• Tree catepillars: Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, warblers
• Flying insects: swallows, nighthawks, flycatchers, warblers, swifts, Cedar Waxwings
• Tree-Crevice insects: chickadees, nuthatches, creepers, woodpeckers, Black-and-white warbler
• >>More on insect-eating birds

Hot Pots For Cool Spaces

Retro Bullet Planters by Hip Haven

Shop Grounded $144.99

16 inch Jardiniere Pots by Bauer Pottery Company

Shop more colors Bauer Potter Co. $220

White Ceramic Midori Planters

Shop Sprout Home $20.65 small $64.00 Large

22″ Aqua Oil Jar

Shop various sizes & colors Bauer Pottery $132-$550

Faux Cement Planters

Shop Smith & Hawken $69 small $119 Lg

Sea Holly For Northwest Agave Fans

What do you do when you desire the architectural rosettes of Agave but live in the Northwest? Substitute Agaves for the sword-shaped leaves of ERYNGIUM Agavifolium (Agave-leaf Sea Holly).

Potted arrangements are an alternative, but containers have their own maintenance requirements, like over-winterizing, routine watering, and not to mention expensive.

Agaves are not native to the Northwest and don’t like our cold, wet winters. Introducing non-native, non-hardy plants to your borders can become hosts for unwanted pests and disease. Who wants to work that hard? Look for cold-hardy plants that have the same characteristics of the plants you love and save you, and your plants, a lot of hardship.

• More Sea Holly info and photos at www.greatplantpicks.org

• Cold hardy Agaves at High Country Gardens

Spring Garden Photos

I finally emptied my camera’s storage card to take some pics of our yard. We went from winter to summer in 24 hours. Two days ago there was frost on the roof, and yesterday a toasty 84°F.

Click the links for plant information and mature plant photos

EUPHORBIAS are sporting their new chartreuse blooms. Just to the left of Bob, our garden Buddha, you can see IMPERATA cylindrica ‘Rubra’ (Japanese Blood Grass) starting to sprout up. We plan to plant Bamboo in the galvanized containers this spring to hide the ugly gray fence. I leveled the containers. The fence is just that crooked. NASSELLA tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) is the transition to our xeriscape garden. The bamboo poles mark the, barely visible, ECHINACEA purpurea (Coneflower).

Sprouting here is ASTILBE (False Spirea). I think this one has pink plumes. Just out of the picture, we have another variety that has white plumes.

I tried to focus in on the flower bud of our ALLIUM tuberosum (Garlic Chives). These plants doubled in size since last year.

TIP: When planted close to Chives, carrots will tend to grow larger

This area is located in the complete opposite end of the yard. The fence is part of the dog run I built a couple of years ago.

A. Neighbor’s Bamboo B. ACER circinatum (Vine Maple) C. RUDBECKIA hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) D. Japanese Iris E. SPIREA ‘Goldflame’ F. NANDINA domestica (Heavenly Bamboo)

Modern Pots for Tasty Herbs

Add style to your kitchen by growing some of your favorite herbs in these modern, self-watering pots by Grobal. Depending on the plant, you only have to water every 3-4 weeks. Grobals balance water and nutrient supply by using a unique capillary action.

FACT: Many plants die of over-watering!

Many other houseplants can be grown in your Grobal, succulents look especially stylish. You can even start from seed, check out the Baby Grobals. The one downside I see is that regular houseplant fertilizer is not recommended, but Grobal makes their own Grobal Food. However, this is a minor trade-off for a pot that regulates water and nutrient supply with minimal effort.

How do they work?