Community Corner: Featuring Native Plants!
A couple of weeks ago when Christie shared her intro post on Instagram, we got so many great responses from y’all. We wanted to highlight one response from Laura_clevername who wrote, “Landscape designer & arborist in DC. 👋 This plant lady is always down to talk trees and plants. Especially natives! Been gradually turning our backyard into a bird haven so also an avid bird stalker 😂 best part is our dog loves to sit and watch the birds too.” We sat down with Laura to ask her some questions about native plants and birds, two things near and dear to Christie’s heart.
How did you become a landscape designer and arborist? #dreamjob
I was always interested in science and ecology but also loved architecture and graphic design. It took me a little while to discover landscape architecture but it really is the perfect blend of my interests. I currently work in the non profit sector in community driven design. I am really interested in the intersection of environment and people and love to learn from everyone’s unique experiences with nature and the built environment. Equitable access to quality green space is so important and I feel really privileged to be able to help make that a reality.
What are your favorite native plants and why?
This is so hard not to list a hundred plants but here are a few:
Bushy Asters (Symphyotrichum dumosum) - not a lot of perennials bloom in fall so this is a great one to add fall blooms and keep the pollinators happy!
Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) - A stunningly pink low maintenance fluffy grass that is good for birds and ladybugs!
Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) - this is a really fun shrub with fluffy fragrant flowers and interesting leaves. I love plants that offer multiple tactile textures. Great for pollinators and gorgeous fall color!
River birch (Betula nigra) - I love a deciduous tree that still has interest all season - lovely fall color and such interesting bark!
What are the benefits of planting native plants?
They’re better suited to the climate and environmental conditions of your area (aka less maintenance once established and better survivability). And the main thing is they serve way more insects and animals in terms of food and habitat so they’re creating far more opportunity for biodiversity and ecosystem services. This means more birds, butterflies, and other fun critters for our dogs (and selves) to get curious about! But at the end of the day, it’s unrealistic to say we can ONLY plant native species - don’t go ripping everything out! Just gradually replace over time and try to have a majority of native species and avoid monocultures. As long as they aren’t invasive, most non-natives still provide plenty of beauty and ecosystem services!
Any advice for planting native plants that will thrive in yards with dogs?
Hmmm. Well dogs are generally hard on plants because they dig, run, pull, etc. make sure there are spaces for the rough play and hopefully they’ll leave your other plants alone. If you’ve got a small yard space remember to leave some unplanted mulched or grassy zones for bathroom spots 🙃.
Tell us about your favorite bird.
We’re in the middle of the city so we don’t get too many rare ones so I did love having a common yellowthroat hang out for a week. Also I’m a sucker for cardinals - I know they’re so common but man they’re so cute and because they hang out all year it’s fun to watch a pair grow their little family over the seasons and care for each other.
What advice would you give someone who just moved into a house with a yard?
Take it slow if you’re installing and maintaining it yourself - do it in phases so you can get the hang of it! Pick drought tolerant plants if you’re not going to water them regularly in hot months. Don’t plant from seeds because it’s hard to tell the difference between weeds and the seedlings if you’re not experienced. Plant your woody plants (shrubs and trees) in November to January - this gives the roots time to get established before having to put energy into new leaves and survive the hot summer. And please for the love of dog don’t mulch your trees like volcanoes - it’s bad for the trees!!
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