Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia
Over 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners
If reading about (or visiting) native plant gardens has whetted your appetite for growing native plants in your own yard (or on your patio or balcony), you will enjoy this book review of Native Plants of the Southeast by Larry Mellichamp.
In 2008, I attended a lecture by Dr. Douglas Tallamy about how suburban gardeners can make a significant positive impact on our environment by using native plants. His talk was full of fascinating facts and examples. It spoke to my long-held concern for the problems facing the natural world , and gave me hope that I could actually make a difference just by how I gardened – something I loved doing.
What can we as gardeners do to adapt to climate change? While predictions about climate change and its impacts appear nothing short of apocalyptic, adapting to the changes to come will require a return to gardening fundamentals.
Anyone who visits Arlington National Cemetery (more than 4 million people do so every year) knows that America’s most hallowed ground, the final resting place of more than 400,000 service members, veterans and their spouses on 624 acres, is also a sanctuary for lovers of flowers and trees.
Fact sheets for fifteen native ground covers are featured on the MGNV web site under “Tried and True Native Plant Selection for the Mid-Atlantic.” Here are some additional species that are native to our region and that are suitable for use in the home landscape.
A number of plants native to our region provide continuing value and interest in our gardens into the winter. Their evergreen foliage or interesting bark add beauty to the landscape, while their berries, seeds, or stems provide support to wildlife through the cold months.
