Inspired
May 2023
Look how quickly you can convert lawn to a gorgeous native plants garden! My dear friend very generously allowed me to share these pics and details of her project with you. I know this would have helped me tremendously to have faith in taking the leap and spending what seemed like a high price for teeny tiny native plants at the regional native plant sales (compared to lush non-native plants for less money at typical garden centers). If I had seen these progression photos of what can happen in just one year, I never would have hesitated — it’s truly amazing!!
Planting day, May 2022
Planting date: May 2, 2022
Location: Fairfax County
Dimensions: 29’ x 15’
Total plants: 52
Total species: 23
Size plants: 4” pots
Nursery: Earth Sangha
Process:
"I printed and went through the list from Audubon NoVa for creating a meadow. I looked up and wrote a description of every plant and grass (color, height, spread, bloom time, light and water needs). Then I made my plant selections from the list and got a couple packages of shims to represent each plant. Then I wrote the name, height, bloom time and color of each plant on a shim and arranged them around the bed (hoping I would be able to create a space that changed during the season)."
Plant list:
Solidago rugosa Rough-stemmed Goldenrod × 2
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum Calico Aster × 2
Aquilegia canadensis Wild Columbine × 3
Vernonia noveboracensis New York Ironweed × 2
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae New England Aster × 2
Geranium maculatum Wild Geranium × 5
Elymus virginicus Virginia Wild Rye × 2
Packera aurea Golden Ragwort × 2
Silphium asteriscus Whorled Rosin Weed × 2
Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem × 3
Monarda fistulosa Wild Bergamot × 2
Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan × 2
Baptisia tinctoria Yellow Wild Indigo × 1
Oenothera fruticosa Sundrops × 5
Lonicera sempervirens Coral honeysuckle × 1
Eutrochium fistulosa Hollow Joe-Pye Weed x 2
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed x 2
Asclepias syriaca Common Milkweed x 2
Chamaecrista fasciculata Common Partridge Pea x 2
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed x 2
Liatris spicata Dense Blazing Star x 2
Conoclinium coelestinum Bluemist Flower x 2
Coreopsis verticilata Threadleaf Coreopsis x 2
Amazing!
With native plants, the saying goes, “First they sleep, then they creep, then they leap.” Plant well and you may find they leap in just one year!
Her “postage stamp prairie” at press time, one year and two months after planting