Naturescaping principle #1 of 11: Key Learning

OK.  Here we go...... here's the first of eleven postings to come on the naturescaping principles.

Principle #1 - USE NATIVE PLANTS

What's a Native plant you ask?  It's a plant that was here before the Europeans colonized the area.   Personally, I think it's a bit unrealistic to ask us to just use natives (going back to the three-legged stool blog I did on sustainability - the stool would fall over due to lack of cultural acceptance).   So, I think the key point here is to focus on natives as much as possible, and for the other selections, stick with the plants that have proven they can readily live healthy, low maintenance, non-invasive lives in our climate, (and microclimates that are so endemic here in the PNW.)

Pick up any good reference book on plants of the Pacific Northwest to see the myriad options to choose from......

Here's a short list to open your eyes to the possibilities:

SUN LOVING NATIVES

• Thimbleberry - rubus parviflorus
• Yarrow - achiellea millefolium
• Pearly Everlasting - anaphalis margaritacea
• Kinnikinnick - arctostaphylos uva-ursi
• Lupine - lupinus angustifolius
• Hedge Nettle - stachys cooleae
• Foxglove - digitalis purpurea
• Flowering Red Currant - ribes sanguineum
• Native Honeysuckle - lonicera hispidula
• Oregon Sedum - sedum oreganum
• Native Strawberry - fragaria chileonsis
• Nootka Rose - rosa nutkana
• Snowberry - symphoricarpos alba
• Cow Parsnip - heracleum lanatum

NATIVES FOR WET/MOIST LOCATIONS

• Devils Club - oplopanax
• Red Twig Dogwood - cornus stolonifera
• Skunk Cabbage - lysichiton americanum
• Douglas Spirea - spirea douglasii (this is a GREAT alternative to Butterfly Bush)

SHADE LOVING NATIVES

• Evergreen Huckleberry - vaccinium ovatum
• Low Oregon Grape - merhonia nervosa
• Tall Oregon Grape - merhonia aquifolium
• Elderberry - sambucus racemosa
• Fringecup - tellima grandiflora
• Deer Fern - blechnum spicant
• Sword Fern - polystichum munitum

Looking back on my own gardening experience...... I can't count the number of plants that have gone belly up due to wrong-plant-wrong-place syndrome or been salad central to wandering deer..... the time and money I've wasted buying and planting something that initially looks so lovely, only to have it succumb to nature's whim because it wasn't the appropriate selection.  Mother nature has been telling me time and again and I haven't listened...... now I'll pay more attention!