Smooth Blue Aster – butterfly garden in September
As our climate continues to warm up, native plants continue to capture our attention. There is nothing wrong with planting cultivars, let’s face it, they’re gorgeous! Still, native plants are adapted to, not just our climate, but our soil conditions.
They provide nectar, pollen and seeds that serve as food for native butterflies, insects, birds and other animals. We need native plants alongside those cultivars.
Red Admiral on native coneflower
Don’t forget the shelter they provide.
Providing food & shelter for winter – coneflowers and switchgrass
Butterfly garden in winter – just look at all that shelter! Once established, native plants are easy care! Evolving to fit our weather, they generally have a long life! If you live on a lake or have a cabin on a lake, then you know about erosion. If you have sloped areas in your home landscape, then you know about erosion. Native plants are your friends. Native coneflower, Butterfly weed, grasses and more in rain garden These plants help manage rainwater runoff and maintain healthy soil as their root systems are deep and keep soil from being compacted. Check out my blog post, Bring Back the “Wild” from last year.
Purple Prairie Clover Ease into natives by mixing them in with your cultivars! There’s no rule that says you must separate them. Naturally yours, 
