Deciding what to plant in your garden can be a daunting task for beginner gardeners and pros alike. What’s going to do well in my backyard? Does this plant come back every year? Will this bush grow fast and block this flower? There are so many questions and choices to make! At Meeting Green, we are committed to helping customers enhance their space and educating them on all things green. Whether you just moved to a new home or you’re planning to breathe new life into an older landscape, we’re here to help. Today, we want to talk about a popular trend we’re seeing from customers this year. If you’re looking online for landscape inspiration, chances are you’ve come across people adding native plants to their garden. Planting natives and creating gardens for pollinators is very popular in the industry these days (and we couldn't be more thankful!) So, let’s talk about why native and pollinator gardens are important and what you should be planting in Charleston to create your own eco friendly garden native garden.
First, let’s consider why so many customers want to plant natives. Plants that are native to your area are better suited for the climate, meaning they are more likely to thrive. For Charleston, that means deeper root systems to handle flooding and a higher tolerance for sun, heat, and periods of drought. We all want a beautiful landscape, but it can be a lot of work! Native plants are going to be better suited to fight against the drastically changing weather conditions due to climate change. Additionally, natives and pollinator plants provide food and habitats for bees, butterflies, beetles, and other important pollinators. Planting a wide variety of native and pollinators creates diversity in your garden and attracts beneficial insects to your space.
Setting out to utilize native plants in your garden does not mean you must only use natives. Just because something is non native doesn’t mean it’s invasive or bad to put in your yard. There are plenty of non native, naturalized plants that are appropriate for our climate and blend beautifully with native cultivars. Take a look at the list below for some of our favorite native species to incorporate into your existing landscaping.
Muhlenbergia (Muhly grass)
Echinacea (Cone flower)
Rudbeckia Goldsturm
Beautyberry
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Joe - Pye Weed
Coreopsis Moonbeam
Ready to learn more about planting eco-friendly, native gardens? Check out “An Introduction to Native Plants for SC Landscapes” from Clemson Extension and listen to our June and July episodes of Get Planting on WOHM 96.3. Back in June we chatted with Kellen from the Charleston Parks Conservancy about ecological planting practices and planting natives in our local parks. In July, we hung out with Lucy Davis from the College of Charleston and learned about beekeeping and planting for pollinators.
#Getplanting Charleston!
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