Native Garden
A garden composed primarily of plants indigenous to the local region, creating a landscape that supports native wildlife, conserves water, and celebrates regional identity. Native gardens reconnect landscapes to their ecological context, providing habitat for local pollinators and birds while requiring less maintenance and fewer resources than conventional gardens once established.
Key Features
Regional Plant Communities
Recreation of natural plant associations found in local ecosystems, with species that have evolved together and naturally complement each other in terms of growth habits, bloom times, and resource needs.
Wildlife Support
Intentional inclusion of plants that provide food, shelter, and breeding habitat for native birds, beneficial insects, and other wildlife that depend on specific indigenous plant species.
Water Conservation
Use of plants adapted to local rainfall patterns that typically require little to no supplemental irrigation once established, reducing water consumption while maintaining an attractive landscape.
Reduced Chemical Inputs
Elimination or significant reduction of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides through the use of plants that have natural defenses against local pests and diseases.
Seasonal Rhythms
Embrace of the natural cycles of growth, flowering, seed production, and dormancy that characterize the local ecosystem, creating a garden that changes dramatically with the seasons.
Sense of Place
Expression of regional identity through plants that reflect the unique character of the area, connecting the garden to its broader geographical and cultural context.
Design Variations
Prairie Restoration
Recreation of grassland ecosystems with native grasses and wildflowers arranged in naturalistic drifts, often incorporating controlled burns or mowing regimes to maintain the prairie character.
Woodland Edge Garden
Transition zone planting that mimics the ecotone between forest and open areas, featuring a mix of understory trees, shrubs, and shade-tolerant perennials native to local woodland margins.
Desert Native Garden
Celebration of arid-adapted indigenous plants with sculptural cacti, succulents, and desert wildflowers arranged among local stone to create a water-efficient landscape with year-round interest.
Formal Native Garden
Traditional garden design principles applied to native plants, with structured beds, defined edges, and deliberate plant combinations that demonstrate how indigenous species can fit into more classic garden styles.