As many people already know, I am not a card carrying member of the We Should Only Plant Natives Club. They are fine and all that but I feel no great need to adhere to such a restrictive policy. I do incorporate natives in my designs. We’ve used many natives and their cultivars in multiple areas in the gardens created after our expansion. Carex radiata can be found in the Overlook garden behind Deer Zink (along with Amelanchier), multiple cultivars of redbud are in the Garden for Everyone (along with the straight species – I guess the others would be the gay, lesbian, bi, and transgendered species?), and Echinacea is everywhere (along with Amsonia hubrictii – Arkansas bluestar).
There most certainly is a place for natives. I did a design recently for a neighborhood park and included them in it. They definitely cross my mind when I know there will be extreme cultivation issues such as sunny and dry, shady and dry, wet and anything, or most importantly, minimal maintenance after establishment. Of course if there is a non-native available that is just as tough and prettier I have no problem going with it. Pretty always wins. Remember high school? I attempt to follow the “right plant, right place” mantra ignoring the individual plant’s origin. I want plants from everywhere and damn near every plant no matter where it’s from. As Divine said in Pink Flamingos “Get it all cracker. Get it all”.
Filed under: Horticulture
