Plants native to the Pacific Northwest evolved over thousands of years to suit our climate, soil conditions, and weather patterns. As a result, they require less maintenance, little watering once established, and no pesticides to remain vigorous and healthy. Woody native plants have deep roots that reduce erosion and allow water to penetrate into the ground.
Native plants are particularly good for problem areas in the landscape. If an area stays wet much of the time or often grows moss, choose a native plant that tolerates wet conditions, such as Red Osier Dogwood or Pacific Crabapple. For clayey soils, try planting Douglas Spirea or Pacific Ninebark. To minimize stream bank erosion, plant willows or Salmonberry. Native plants also provide wildlife habitat. Native roses provide cover for nesting birds while Beaked Hazelnut or Oregon White Oak provide food for squirrels.
Native plants enhance the environment by intercepting and filtering storm water. Water also soaks into the ground along their root channels. Because native plants do not require fertilizer or pesticides to stay healthy, they provide a healthy landscape for kids, pets, and the environment. Well adapted to our environment, native plants resist most diseases and, in many cases, grow vigorously enough to out-compete insects and diseases. Reducing herbicide fungicide, and insecticide use in the garden makes your garden healthier for kids, pets, and wildlife.
Planning your landscape
First, carefully examine your landscape and inventory existing conditions. Look at the soil in several different locations. Does it drain well or are there ponds after a rain? Does your soil feel sandy or sticky like clay? To determine soil texture pick up a small amount of damp soil and squeeze it in your hand. Clay soil will feel smooth and sticky and your fingers will leave an impression. You can usually squeeze a ribbon of clay one or two inches long between your thumb and forefinger. Sandy soil feels gritty, doesn’t hold together well, and often slips through your fingers. Loam soil will feel spongy and be dark brown or black in color.
Determine the sun’s path both summer and winter to determine how much light each section of the yard receives. Locate all buildings and utilities, including the locations of hose bibs. Make a scale drawing of your yard and include permanent features such as the plants you want to keep.
Locate thirsty plants, such as hybrid tea roses and vegetable or herb gardens, near a water source for easy irrigation. These types of plants require extra water during the summer and gardening will consume more if you locate them far from you water source. Plants are also easier to harvest when they are located close to the house. Native plants can be located in distant corners of the yard because they seldom require water after establishment and often make a good privacy screen.
Look for areas in your yard where grass or other non-native plants are doing poorly. In many cases this happens due to shade and/or wet conditions. It may also be due to poor quality soil. Check the plant list on page four and choose a few plants that do best in your conditions. In many cases, native plants evolved together to create plant communities. Take advantage of this fact by creating a community in your own yard using complementary plants. If you choose plants of varying heights (e.g. ground covers, shrubs 5 to 10 feet high, and trees) it will have the added benefit of creating wildlife habitat.
Making certain you have three vertical (canopy) layers of vegetation, ground cover, shrubs, and trees, will make your yard more attractive to wildlife. Ground cover provides food and cover for insects and small animals that often serve as a food source for birds and other wildlife. Shrubs provide food and protection from predators for birds, squirrels, and other small animals. Larger trees provide shade, nesting space, and insects for food. Providing three layers in your garden creates a complex habitat that provides for the needs of a wide variety of species. A water feature, either as small as a bird bath or as large as a pond, also helps attract wildlife.
Choosing the Right Plants
Pick an area of your yard that you want to landscape with native plants. If there is existing lawn, it can be removed by cutting the lawn into small squares and digging it out with a flat bladed spade or renting a commercial sod cutter. You can also compost the lawn in place by covering it with cardboard or several layers of newspaper followed by a few inches of wood chips or bark. Before digging deeply, ensure there are no buried utilities in the area. Call 800-553-4344 for utility locations.
Check the plant list on page four and narrow down your choices to the plants which suit your conditions. You may wish to visit local nurseries to look at the various plants and determine which best suit your needs. Be sure to take the plant list with you and be prepared to use the botanical name. For example, asking for a Mock Orange may get you the European Philadelphus coronarius rather than the native Philadelphus lewisii.
Carefully look at the mature size of plants you want to include in your plan and allow the plants plenty of room to grow to this size. While the landscape will look a little sparse to begin with, natives usually grow quickly. Pruning large plants to fit in a small area is a lot of work and may damage the plant’s health. It isn’t always best to choose the largest plant in the nursery. Smaller plants will normally experience less transplant shock. Native plants like Vine Maples and Rhododendrons are usually easy to find at local nurseries, but other plants may prove more challenging.
