Ok firstly, ignore my lack of artistic ability lol
I’m in zone 5b and would really love to convert our dead grass/weed ‘lawn’ to… not dead grass/weeds.
While this isn’t 100% to-scale, it is more or less accurate. We already have the two raised veggie beds on the far right (south side), with plans to add two more by next spring.
The wonky-shaped bed up against the house was there before we bought the house and currently has nothing in it, save for weeds and the occasional daffodils & tulips in early spring.
The section of that bed where I’ve put wild strawberries gets the most sun, topping out at 4-5 hours per day. The rest of that bed gets little to no sun (shaded from the house). I’m not sold on the hostas in the top left corner but wasn’t sure what else would be ok with 1-2 hours of direct sunlight each day.
The rest of the yard gets full sun (6-8 hours per day, minimum).
I know clover is controversial here and I’m not set on it, just didn’t know what else to do for ground cover, but am open to suggestions.
For the native plant islands, I’m considering things like golden Alexander, milkweed, coneflowers, native grasses, etc.
Would it be better to have one large ‘island’ or the smaller islands?
I’m not really picky and anything will look better than what we currently have. I just want lots of color & pollinators!
Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated!
by HumanNonHuman
11 Comments
Consider not using hostas. They are not native to the US and are not good for pollinators or native insects. There are definitely other plants that could go there.
Image description:
Sketch of my front yard garden plan. North is to the left.
– Three large areas are dedicated to native plants to support pollinators.
– Considering clover or microclover as ground cover around native beds and paths.
– Four raised beds for vegetables are in the center, surrounded by a stone path.
– Wild strawberries are planted along the sunny south-facing wall of the sunroom.
– Hostas are on the shaded north side of the house.
– English lavender lines the driveway near the sidewalk for fragrance and pollinators.
– The layout is designed to be pollinator-friendly, productive, and low-maintenance.
I like the multiple smaller islands, which may provide some uniformity as your native plants grow freely. You may also consider drift planting (Drift planting is a gardening technique where plants of the same variety are grouped together in sweeping masses, creating a natural, flowing effect reminiscent of how plants might appear in a wild setting) for a more natural effect (I know it contradicts my prior statement. Just means you have a lot of options for a great garden.)
Also I only added the definition for drift planting since I just recently learned what it is and maybe not everyone knows?
I would connect all your beds but keep the shape as they are, just fill in to connect. Instead of all lavender mix in some early spring natives and some late blooming or native grasses that way you always have some color or interesting things going on. Same as the other post said maybe not hosta but some other native but again mix it up so you have interest through the seasons. There are native shrubs that berry or red twig dogwoods that have red or yellow stems.
I’m also in 5b. I love the three distinct beds. Also love the paver/stones/flagstone you plan to add around the raised beds.
One thing to think about if you haven’t is where your water access is. I just did a bed on the side of the house and realized it will be a tough spot to water, so I need to plan for that accordingly.
Two resources I have recently been using and LOVE:
1. Wild Ones. They have some great detailed free native garden designs. Find one for your area and it will have great suggestions for your soil type and amount of light.
2. [BHG](https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/easy/prairie-garden-plan/) also has some interesting garden plans. I like them bc they lay out the specific number of plants, shape, etc. It helps get you started as you are learning.
Plant in groups of 3, 5 or 7 for a natural look. I have been adding boulders to my yard for dimension and interest, as well.
Instead of “zone 5b,” try using this tool to find your Ecoregion. This website will then link you to native plants specific to your Ecoregion. You don’t have to buy from the site, but you can begin to see some great plants for your Ecoregion.
https://homegrownnationalpark.org/ecoregion-finder/
A couple recommendations:
– place your big seeding/spreading plants inside the native planting zones, at the middle (coneflowers, wild bergamot, mountain mint, penstemon are all good examples of this); encircle them with your stalwarts that stay lower to the ground and will hem them in (sedges, rose verbena, prairie smoke, blue flag iris, phlox, closed gentian, Indian pink, and alumroots are all good examples of these where I live)
– density and closeness are your friends for the native plant areas. Try to plant in groupings of 3, 5, or 7. For 4″ pots, plant 2″ apart. For quart pots, 4″ apart. Gallon pots, 8″ apart (edge to edge). Native plants like to be clustered, typically. So, I will buy maybe 3, 6, or 9 of a plant, then cluster them in 3s / 5s / 2s.
– consider one “centerpiece” to each native plant zone youre doing. One bigger shrub or small tree (or a big tree!). I have centered mine with buttonbush, oaks, Fringe tree, redbud, golden currant, red buckeye, silky dogwood, and ninebark in my yard. It gives the cump a great sense of structure.
– consider lining your native plants with rock or something to big them a good border. This doesn’t have to be intense, no major landscaping needed. I use a thin trail of river rock around mine just to make them pop a bit (and to convince neighbors I actually am taking care of things).
Two more bits of advice, just overall when converting lawn:
– do it in phases. Do one big step (or two) in spring, then one or two more steps in fall. You will hate this less, you will be able to manage it better, and you’ll get a better sense of what is working.
– plan for the long game. If you are putting in native plants, in year 1 they sleep, year 2 they creep year 3 they leap. Enjoy the time it takes for them to establish, and take the opportunity to get to know them as they establish. You will begin to see life coming to your yard, and you will become a great steward of these native spaces. You’ll get better at spotting invasives or undesired plants, and you’ll learn how to eradicate them. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Good luck! Post pics of your progress 🙂
For the shade part.
Hellebores, Astible, ferns (sensitive, woodland, ostrich), Bloodroot, Columbine, jack in the pulpit, are all amazing native shade plants. I adore bloodroot flowers and the Hellebores are just magical.
I am trying to grow a large fern garden under my shaded back yard, and while it takes a few years, the ferns have really started to get themselves established.
I am digging your plan. Looks like it will be a fun project!
It looks lovely, I’m excited for you!! Three thoughts:
1. Re: small islands vs big island, both could be really good. It might be helpful to think of the groundcover areas as “rooms,” with the flower beds as not just separating but framing the areas. Then it becomes a question not of how many beds you want but of how many “rooms” you want.
In terms of logistics, it is easier to tend a smaller bed without trampling it.
2. I don’t have a big problem with clover, but here’s an article on [US native groundcovers](https://extension.psu.edu/native-groundcovers-can-solve-tough-challenges-in-the-landscape). Violets are my favorite for sun, so you could look for violets that are native to your area, assuming you want something you can walk on.
3. This is something I don’t practice myself, but with rising temps and weird droughts, it’s worth considering: it’s supposed to be safer to have a 2-3 foot inorganic barrier around your house (e.g. a rock bed) to reduce fire hazard and keep critters from moving into the building.
killing a weedy and neglected lawn is way way harder than killing a healthy one. You should be prepared for every weed seed that’s been building up to sprout.
Be sure your borders are defensible, meaning what prevents whatever’s on one site from getting on the other. Lots of borders is harder to maintain than continuous plantings
I’d rather look at plants than veggies when sitting in my sun room but maybe that’s just me!
I have no idea if this is an issue where you live, but springtime in my area is the beginning of “ant season” – if I planted strawberries that close to my house it would be an open invitation for all the sugar ants in the neighborhood to find their way inside! Might be something to consider 🙂