Five reasons to go Wild NOW!

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This may be a different kind of ‘wild’, but we hope you join the native-plant landscape trend!

Homeowners across the country are spending tens of thousands of dollars to let their lawns and landscapes go wild! (WSJ, 09/13/23). Perhaps not the kind of wild that’s pictured above, but these homeowners are part of a growing trend of people who recognize the disappearance of habitat; and they are taking steps to address this problem by creating natural habitats in their yards. You don’t have to spend tens of thousands to create a natural habitat. Devoting even just a corner of your lawn to native plants will support the birds, bees, butterflies, and other animals that delight us.

While most of us think of Spring as the time to grab our trowels and head for the garden, Fall is the best time to plant! And the best plants to plant are natives. Now’s the time!  If you don’t know where to start, local garden centers often have native plant sections, and three outstanding nearby native plant sales are coming right up (see below).

Go wild! It’s the best time of the year to plant!

Five reasons to plant natives:

• Native plants are local to our area and are already well adapted to our region’s climate. They can tolerate cold winters and hot, humid summers.

• They don’t need a lot of care once established, which means less watering and fertilizing. And that means less harmful run-off threatening our streams and rivers.

• Native plants provide food and habitat for many species of insects, birds, and wildlife. They provide essential shelter for displaced wildlife.

• Many native plants are hosts for caterpillars, which turn into butterflies, and are an important source for growing chicks in the next season.

• Landscaping with native plants can combat climate change. In addition to the reduced noise and carbon pollution from lawn mower exhaust, many native plants, especially long-living trees like oaks and maples, are effective at storing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
  (From Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Arlington Country Virginia Government, and Audubon.)

  Five reasons to plant natives in the Fall:

• Planting in the fall requires less water because cooler weather helps eliminate evaporation. Shorter days mean that photosynthesis slows down as well, and new plants require less water than those planted in the Spring.

• Cooler temperatures are less stressful to new plants. When the air temperature is cooler than the soil temperature, plants put more energy into root growth, making heartier root systems.

• By planting now, you’ll support pollinators, giving them autumn and early-spring nectar supplies.

• The soil is softer now, so it is easier to dig holes!

• There are fewer weeds, thanks to less sun and cooler temperatures.

  Where to start?  How about these five ‘keystone’ natives to consider for a spot on your property:

  Swamp milkweed

  Goldenrod

  Asters

  Sunflowers

  Joe pye, Boneset

  If you don’t know where to start, local garden centers often have native plant sections, and three outstanding nearby native plant sales are coming right up.  

  The Fall 2023 Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale - Twelve vendors will be hosted at this event – the largest native plant sale in the Washington DC area!
  Saturday, September 30, from 9am to 2pm
  1701 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302

  Earth Sangha Fall Open House & Native Plant Sale

  Sunday, October 1, from 9am to 1pm.
  Earth Sangha Native Plant Nursery, Springfield, VA

  Potowmack Chapter Native Plant Sale
  Wednesday, October 4, from 10am to 1pm
  Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria, VA
  
  There are many keystone plants that will make a difference. Only a few are needed! Keystone plants are the native plants that support the most biodiversity in our area. They include familiar and popular plants that are native to Virginia – Black-eyed Susan, Bee balm, Evening primrose, Cardinal flower, Lupine, and more. All of them attract a greater variety of butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, and other wildlife. Certainly more so than traditional lawns!

  Learn more – watch entomologist Doug Tallamy’s video on keystone plants (Keystone Plants), browse the list below, or drop in on a plant sale and just ask! So get started now!

Please join us in this exciting challenge to make our beautiful Franklin Park area a bridge to a healthy future.

“In the past, we have asked one thing of our gardens: that they be pretty. Now they have to support life, sequester carbon, feed pollinators and manage water.”

Doug Tallamy, Entomologist, Author, Founder of Homegrown National Park