Sediments from Sue

Backyard Conservation – Dream Yard

Do you ever dream about what your yard could look like some day?  As you look through garden catalogs filled with beautiful trees, shrubs, flowers and pictures of beautifully landscaped yards-complete with ponds and garden sculptures-the choices seem endless.  Before ordering hundreds of plants or giving up because you cannot decide what you really want here are a few things to consider.

 A common issue in landscaping is creating a peaceful, private environment.  While fencing can provide immediate privacy, consider a buffer strip of shrubbery between your yard and the one next door.  Many shrubs will grow quickly—within a couple of years—and act as a screen while providing habitat for a variety of birds.  Consider planting native shrubs because they are usually well adapted to local conditions and may provide the best habitat for local wildlife.  Other considerations:  whether the plants have special characteristics such as flowers or fruits, how large they will eventually become, and how much maintenance they require to remain healthy and in scale with your yard.

 If you are interested in attracting birds to your backyard below are some native plant species to consider for wildlife habitats.

 Flowering Perennials:  Columbine, Marsh Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, New England Aster, Smooth Aster, Blue False Indigo, Tall Coreopsis, Purple Coneflower, Virginia Bluebells, Bergamot, Summer Phlox, Sweet Black-Eyed Susan, Wild Geranium Sweet Joe-Pye-Weed, Spotted Joe-Pye-Weed.

 Grasses:  Big Bluestem, Side-Oats Grama, Bottlebrush Grass, June Grass, Switch Grass, Little Bluestem, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed

 Groundcovers:  Canada Anemone, Wild Ginger, Palm Sedge, Common Oak Sedge, Running Strawberry Bush, Dwarf Crested Iris, Creeping Phlox

Trees:  Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Arborvitae, Green Hawthorn, Persimmon, American Beech, White Ash, Tulip Poplar, Black Gum, White Pine, Sycamore, Wild Plum, White Oak, Red Oak

 Shrubs:  Serviceberry, Black Chokeberry, Buttonbush, Gray Dogwood, American Hazelnut, Wahoo, Ninebark Staghorn Sumac

 Vines:  Woolly Dutchman’s Pipe, Crossvine, Virginia Creeper

 Ferns:  Maidenhair Fern, Evergreen Shield Fern, Cinnamon Fern

 When selecting plants, make sure they are adapted to your area.  Consider both the minimum and maximum temperatures, amount of moisture, amount of sunlight and soil characteristics.  Ask yourself:  “Do you want an annual that will need replanting every year or a perennial that comes up year after year?”, “Do you want cut flowers for inside your home or to give to friends?”

 Consider the native plants listed above.  Many native species nurseries have the native plants listed above that ensure healthy plants. Do not “raid” these natives from nearby areas without first obtaining landowner permission.  Some of these plants may be obtained as part of a plant rescue event when new construction occurs. Be cautious about introducing exotic species such as purple loosestrife that will become invasive and is prohibited in many states. 

 If you do not want to spend your weekends maintaining a yard, turn part of it into a wildflower garden.  Check on local zoning ordinances.  Some communities have not yet recognized the value of “native landscaping” and may consider this a nuisance area.  If you want a more maintained yard, consider ground covers instead of grass and use mulch to control weeds in foundation plantings and flower beds.

 Above all, choose what you like.  There are an enormous variety of plants that will provide food and shelter to a wide variety of wildlife.  With a little planning, you and the local wildlife can both enjoy the yard of your dreams.  For more information on Backyard Conservation practices, contact the Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District at 765-653-7454 or call 1-888-LANDCARE (toll free) for Backyard Conservation information and tip sheets.

 #####################

HOME