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Going Green: Go Native!

minnis
Adventurer B

Here in North Texas, spring is busting out all over, so I am going to continue our gardening theme from last week.  This week, it’s all about going native—native plants, that is!  We have a diverse ecosystem across the United States, and what grows well in one part may not in another.

There are a lot of great reasons for picking native plants to fill your gardens: they are adaptable to the climate, so they require less water; they provide habitats for indigenous wildlife, such as hummingbirds, butterflies and birds; they don’t need fertilizer, because they have adapted to the soil and conditions; and they are less prone to disease and pests.  Sounds like a win all around!  We have a landscaping project going on here at Headquarters that is using native Texas plants that will use less water.  We’ll write about this more in a future post.

So, how do you know what grows well in your area?  Check out http://www.wildflower.org/plants.   You can type in a kind of plant to see where it grows well, search by state, or by a variety of characteristics, such as appearance and lifespan.  When I was looking for a vine, I checked out what grew well in North Central Texas—I had never even heard of trumpet vine, but it grows beautifully along my back fence.  Using native plants has saved me time, water, and money, and I have a great garden to show for it.

Have fun, and let us know how you live, work, and garden in the comments below.

DING!  You are now free to be Green!