This is my current design for my front yard conversion! I have never designed a native plant landscape, so I’m looking for any and all feedback or critiques or ideas!
I live in the Columbia basin so it is a fairly unique place. It is a native shrub-step and is considered semi-arid. We only get 8 inches of precipitation per year, and it’s almost all in the winter. I plan on filling in many of the small gaps with smaller native plants such as penstemon and munro’s globemallow. I do want a fuller look, without too many big dirt gaps or space for weeds, but I do recognize it will take a few years for it to get more lush. The second picture is some native seeds I have waiting for this project and the rest are some inspo pictures!
by Sleeperrunner
2 Comments
I’m not seeing a total match between seed packets and the drawing? I see lavendar which isn’t naive, but I see plenty of your native seeds that could fill that spot.
Anyways, looks like a fun project! I wish I knew more about your region.
Love all the buckwheats.
I live in Portland but spend time at a family member’s place in the Gorge and we have planted some nice native plants together. Here are some I really like that do well in the sun and you might try on the east side.
– Great Basin Wild Rye – really recommend it. It’s blueish colored, drought tolerant, and grows massive – like 7 feet tall bunch grass in high summer. Really fun. Idaho seed farmers will sell it.
– Nutalli Sunflowers – grows great in the dry and hardy as hell. Also easy to move around and spread. Can’t be killed.
– Mugwort – just awesome. Loves hot and dry and is a nitrogen fixer. Smells amazing. Also sends pups that are easy to propagate.
– Spirea – there’s a native to the east side that’s drought tolerant. If you have a wetter spot of your yard plant it there. Very pretty flowers.
– Goldenrod – again a wetter spot would be good, but it’ll do fine anywhere. There’s a really nice variety from the gorge that gets massive.
Check out this native plant nursery: https://www.humblerootsnursery.com
The guy who runs it is over in Mosier, OR. Super knowledgeable, and propagates tons of unique, endemic, and even endangered species from both the wet and dry sides. Nice as all get out. If you’re anywhere near, I can’t recommend enough paying them a visit.
Good luck and happy planting!