Native Plants

 

One of the most important things about native garden beds is that they help promote biodiversity! Why is that important?

Gardens with native plants provide habitat for many organisms such as pollinators, birds, and small animals. These pocket gardens are safe havens that help reverse the effects of climate change. We need pollinators for our food crops, birds to distribute seeds, and small animals to keep garden pests at bay resulting in healthy viable plants. 

“Chances are you never thought of your garden - indeed, all your property- as a wildlife preserve that presents the last chance we have for sustaining plants and animals that were once common throughout the U.S. But that is exactly the role our suburban landscapes are playing.” — Douglas Tallamy

Contact us today to install a vibrant native garden bed all while helping curb climate change and promote biodiversity! 

Consultation

I will come to your house and walk your yard with you. You can share your ideas, I can offer suggestions and we can decide on how to proceed.

  • I will provide you with a slideshow of plants that would work best with the available sunlight and soil conditions.

  • After you peruse the slideshow, you can let me know which plants appeal to you.

  • Then I would put together a design for you to review and approve.  Once the project is approved we can schedule the install. 

Please contact me via phone or email for information regarding consultation fees and scheduling.

Garden Makeovers

  • We can add a new native garden to your property by:

    • Mapping out the bed design in the desired area

    • Digging an edge and smother existing grass or substrate with cardboard

    • Overlay mulch and Install native plants through the cardboard or we can wait and install plants the next season

  • We can take an existing garden bed and turn it into a native one

    • If you have plants you desire to keep we can plant around them, but we do recommend increasing space for native ones

    • If the existing plants are considered invasive we will highly encourage the removal of those species

  • We can remove the 1980s outdated invasive ground cover in your garden beds without harsh chemicals

    • We would dig and remove as much as possible and then smother the rest with the same cardboard and mulch process stated above

    • We can plant native ground cover or other plants by placing them through the cardboard and clearing a hole free of weeds/invasive ground cover

    • Or we can wait for the cardboard to “do it’s thing” and plant at a later date

  • We love to take a space that is overgrown and make it beautiful again!  Check out our before and after photos 

Maintenance Plans  

  • Maintenance can include:

    • Weeding

    • Freshening up mulch

    • Pruning

    • Trimming bushes

    • Installing or improving walkways, stairs, and benches

    • And many other things to make your garden beautiful again!

  • We can assess your gardens and provide an estimate based on your needs and the size of your garden(s)

  • Maintenance can be as often as you like but we recommend spring, summer and late summer

Invasive Removal

  • Removing plant species that are not native to Michigan ecosystems and pose a threat to native ones (Ex. Autumn olive, Asian bittersweet, Vinca)

  • We do not use harsh chemicals, instead we hand dig and repeatedly cut plant

    • Many invasive can be eliminated with repeated cutting and mowing

  • We smother with cardboard and top with mulch

    • no sunlight = no photosynthesis