BOULDER JUNCTION, Wis. (WJFW) — Starting a garden can be overwhelming; no one knows that better than the experienced gardeners gathered at Boulder Junction Library Wednesday.
But according to Anna Vogt, the Woods and Water Director at North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters, choosing to plant native species in your garden can make it all a lot easier.
“The great reason for planting natives is they are adapted to our environment,” said Vogt. “They know how to live here, they’ve been living here for hundreds of years, if not thousands of years.”
These plants are comfortable with the Northwoods’ local climate, weather and soil types. And vibrant, flowering species like Jacob’s Ladder, Wild Columbine, and Prairie Smoke, show that by going native, a gardener won’t have to compromise on color.
Native plants also help the environment by improving soil health, filtering water, and reducing erosion. Plus, they’re familiar to local pollinators, which help the Northwood’s plants reproduce.
“Nonnatives, or, plants from other areas, a lot of our pollinators don’t know what they are sometimes, and might not use them like they do our native species,” said Vogt.
Last fall, the North Lakeland Discovery Center planted some native species in a garden at the Boulder Junction Library. May’s been cold and blustery, and nothing’s blooming yet; but the leaves of Jacob’s Ladder, Columbine and Prairie Smoke are sprouting.
Vogt said it takes time for a native garden to really come into bloom.
“When it’s really, really thriving is usually year three and on,” she said.
Vogt says the best time to start a native garden is the fall.
“It can be as easy as, you throw seeds out, and what they do is they go through a stratification period,” she said.
A stratification period is before germination when many Northwoods species’ seeds need to be cold and moist, as they’re adapted to winter conditions. Vogt said just before the first snow is a great time to put your seeds out, since they’ll go through that process under the snow.
If you’re itching to start a native garden now, the best thing to do is clear a space, add some soil, compost, and mulch, and—after Memorial Day, when the weather’s a little better—pick up some native plants at your local plant store.
The North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters is hosting their annual Native Plant Sale on Thursday, June 4th.
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