I’ve been encouraging this wildflower patch (goldenrod, calico aster, some rudibeckia that gets a little crowded out, wild strawberry, grapes) to fill in an unused part of my backyard. The photo is from last fall, and the pollinators loved it! This year I am going to expand it by a few feet by letting the flowers seed.
Most excited for the elderberries I found- I did end up clearing a few of the tall flowers this year so the young elderberries can grow. Behind it, is a large patch of ferns! Loving my little native patch and am very weary of invasive from the park behind me! (Honeysuckle, wildflora rose)
Does anyone know if I let this patch continue to grow densely, would it help prevent the invasion of invasives in my yard? I’ve already found two of the honeysuckle bushes near it, however they are on the edges.
Northern pa.
by FragrantWin9
1 Comment
Hi there! The dense native growth will help slow the progression of invasives, however they are still going to come in and try to establish in your yard. And buckthorn and Asian honeysuckle are allopathic toward natives, meaning they release a toxin in the soil. (What really sucks is that these invasives coexist well together!) so you’ll need to be vigilant with that. If there’s any way you can convince that park to remove its invasive plants, it will reduce the pressure on your yard.
What you’re growing looks beautiful, great and important work.