Native Plant Advice
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Patrick
Posted: Mar-14-2005 at 6:21pm
Hello,
I just stumbled across this site while doing research for my new garden. What a great resource! Anyway, on to my question ...
I live in North Vancouver, BC, and am starting a new garden, approx. 10 by 10 feet, in my front yard. I would like to plant the garden with a variety of native, mostly evergreen, shrubs and perennials that flower at different times of the year and are, ideally, drought tolerant. The garden will receive full sun in the spring and summer, and will take a beating from the rain in the winter. I'm a novice gardener, and so am not entirely sure what to plant. The on-line research I've done has uncovered an overwhelming number of choices. I'm hoping the expertise and experiences of the forum members can help me to narrow down the options. Does anyone have any specific recommendations as to what to plant?
Thanks!
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Mar-14-2005 at 8:24pm
Welcome to the forum! I have a few favorite native plants that are doing well for me:
Red Twig Dogwood
Kinnikinnik
Evergreen Huckleberry (will be smaller in full sun)
Tall Oregon Grape
Low Oregon Grape (? on common name, species is Mahonia repens)
Douglas Aster (? I think it's Douglas Aster; the person who gave me the start wasn't sure)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Hedge Nettle (It could be Cooley's Hedge Nettle)
Oregon Iris (I. tenax)
Lewisia cotyledon
Sedum oreganum
Sedum spathulifolium
Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis)
Nodding Onion
Salal (the plants I have in full sun are remaining very small, and not growing as well as the ones in partial shade, but they are alive, and don't seem to be suffering; they're just short)
Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima)
If you have room, you might try Silk Tassel Bush (Garrya elliptica) or Ribes sanguineum (Red-Flowering Current). You could also try the native Yew (Taxus brevifolia) or Juniper (Juniper communis)
Barb
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-15-2005 at 8:16am
Welcome to Rainyside, Patrick. Good suggestions, Barb. Other than the red twig dogwood, most of the plants Barb listed can handle dry conditions. Evergreen huckleberry and salal do appreciate a shadier location. However, Oregon grape both tall and low varieties (Mahonia aquifolium, Mahonia repens) enjoy full sun conditions. Garrya elliptica also does well in full sun. You might try Ceanothus (C thrysiflorus, C. sanguineus, C. Velutinus), Holodiscus discolor (Ocean Spray), Ribes Aureum (Golden Current), Arctostaphylos columbiana (Hairy Manzanita) and Myrica californica (Pacific Wax Myrtle) for sun loving, drought tolerant shrubs. For trees, Arbutus menziesii (Pacific Madrone) and some of our native oaks such as Quercus garryana (Garry Oak) or Quercus kelloggii (California Black Oak) would be good drought tolerant choices.
Many of these plants live together in the dryer parts of the PNW. By putting plants with similar needs together, you'll have much happier plants.
Have fun!
Jeanne
Patrick
Posted: Mar-15-2005 at 2:00pm
Thank you, Barb and Jeanne, for your helpful recommendations. I will take your lists around to some local garden centers to see what I can find.
I was wondering if you have any advice regarding soil preparation. I'm digging up some of my front lawn to make room for the garden. If the presence of worms is a sign of healthy soil, then I've got very healthy soil! But I imagine that I'll still need to add some topsoil or compost or something. I would appreciate any advice you can offer as to what I need to do to get the soil ready for planting.
Also, is this an okay time of year to plant the various native shrubs and perennials you have recommended? Like you, we're likely to find ourselves in a drought situation this summer. If I plant now, will the plants be established enough to do with little water this summer? If I can't plant now, would it be better to wait until the fall to get the garden going? Again, any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks again!
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-15-2005 at 4:03pm
Actually, Patrick, it would be best to wait until fall this year. It looks like we are in for a dry one. Even natives that can handle dry conditions need pampering in their first year to get started. Normally, now is a good time to plant. To get the beds ready for planting this fall, I would recommend you cover the grass with newspaper then put several layers of compost on top of that. Normally, you would water this once a week or so to get the grass to die and then compost. This process is much easier than digging up the lawn. But again, I would wait until July with this process too, for planting in late September.
Jeanne
Patrick
Posted: Mar-15-2005 at 4:26pm
Thanks for the advice, Jeanne. I was afraid you were going to say I should wait!
I have a couple more questions if you don't mind ... I'm a complete novice. If I do what you suggest - cover the lawn with newspaper and then layers of compost - can you recommend a commercially available compost that I can use (or at least what I should look for in compost) for this?
Also, you suggest that after the lawn dies, I should compost. I'm not entirely sure what this means. There will be layers of compost on top of the dead lawn, right? Should I just dig this into the dead lawn so everything is mixed up really well? Will I need to do or add anything else before planting?
Thanks so much for all of your help.
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-16-2005 at 8:14am
Sorry, Patrick. I meant that the grass will decompose under the compost. The more water it gets the faster it will decompose. That's why it is normally recommended to do this in the fall and plant in the spring, a normal spring that is. This takes advantage of the winter rains to help water and decompose the grass.
Planting could be done this spring with soaker hoses or drip irrigation but the risks of plants dieing are much higher without our spring rains. It's hard to keep up with the watering regime without wasting water.
Jeanne
Patrick
Posted: Mar-16-2005 at 8:43am
Thanks for the clarification, Jeanne. I'll definitely wait until the fall to plant, as water use will be restricted in the upcoming months, and I certainly don't want the plants to die.
Would there be any harm, though, in covering the lawn now to get the decomposing process started? We'll still get some spring rains to help the process along. So the soil should be good and ready for planting in the fall.
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-16-2005 at 9:06am
Sure, now would be a good time to start the decomposing process, if you are willing to keep up with the weeds. The more time you give the decomposing process, the better. Grass can be easier to maintain, particularly if you aren't watering it. Weeding can often be a much bigger maintenance chore. Sorry, I guess you have to weigh the benefits and disadvantages, of starting now versus waiting another couple of months.
I forgot to answer your question about the compost. I am not sure who would be a good supplier in Vancouver, B.C. I know the Washington folks rave about Cedar Grove but they are located in Maple Valley or Everett, Washington. Does anyone have a source in Vancouver, B.C? At least there is some good info on the site for you.
Also, after re-reading your original post, the oaks I recommended would not fit into your 10 x 10 space. Unless all you wanted was some shade!
Jeanne
Patrick
Posted: Mar-17-2005 at 10:46am
Thanks for all of your advice, Jeanne. And Barb too! Once I get the garden planted in the fall, I'll post again and let you know how things are coming along.
Patrick
Posted: Mar-28-2005 at 9:12pm
I have another quick question for you, Jeanne (or anyone else!), if you don't mind. I've covered my lawn with compost, as you recommended. Once it has decomposed, and I'm ready to plant, is there anything else I need to do, or add, to the soil? Or can I just plant my shrubs, etc., right into the compost?
Thanks!
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-29-2005 at 8:54am
as long as your compost isn't 'hot' - still composting - you should be able to plant with no problems. i've planted in areas converted from grass to beds with this method successfully. sometimes i've been inpatient and planted right away, other times i've waited. if i have a large plant that needs to be planted deeper than the compost depth, i cut a hole 2x as large in diameter as the container in the old grass area to make sure no grass sneaks back up into the bed.
if you haven't already, check out rainy side's native plant resources:
native plants of the pacific northwest index
native plant gallery and growing guide
don't forget, also, the great selection of books on this subject on rainy side's bookshelf:
native plants in the coastal garden is written by april pettinger, who lives in bc - i think she's on vancouver island.
Patrick
Posted: Mar-29-2005 at 12:47pm
Thanks Lisa. I have checked out your site's resources - they're great. I'll look into the books you recommended.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton