As part of National Wildlife Refuge Week, I'm to give a demonstration of the advantages of natives in the garden.
I've done this for the last few years and have taken sample plants, created a large poster showing the difference between anonymous "contractors landscapes" and native landscapes and another about getting rid of the lawn.
This year they want something different. I have only two weeks to whip up something and I have no ideas. I'm to man a booth for 5 hours and people will stop by as they're on their way to various nature tours. I'd do a Power Point demo but there is no electricity available.
Any ideas? Help, please!
Ideas Needed- Native Plants in the Garden
You could try a poster board with pictures of native plants and details about their cultivation in the garden, something similar to this;
We had this at our native plant sale last week and it worked very well.
Josephine.
wonderful display idea, Josephine... :)
Melanie
Thank you Melanie.
Thanks, Josephine,
What kind of information did you include?
jb
We included the following;
Scientific name
Common name
Family
Duration
Habit
Bloom color
Bloom time
Native distribution
Light requirements
Soil moisture
Native habitat
It was a great help as people were able to study and select plants ahead of purchasing. The sale was to benefit the Wildscape where I volunteer.
Here is a link to the site and the sale gallery page.
http://www.thewildscape.org/index.php
I hope it helps.
Josephine.
Thanks a lot. That's a beautiful website, I hope you're reaching people with the message.
Thank you Jbee, I think we are, there are a lot of people very active in native plant conservation and ecology. I went through the Master Naturalist program and really enjoy working with nature. Are you part of an organization?
Josephine
I was in the first class in Texas to take the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Habitat Stewards course but my work schedule prevents me from taking part in more classes or organization meetings. I help folks with their gardens and certifications whenever I can fit it in.
I really want to take the Master Naturalist class...someday. Many of my friends are members of NPSOT.so I learn from them. The Wasowski books are my bibles and of course native plants are the backbone of any wildlife garden.
Wonderful, I am so glad to see you involved, native plant conservation is such an important part of ecology, we all need to do as much as we can to keep our beautiful native plants from disappearing, so many people don't know the richness of their native plant heritage.
I am also a member of NPSOT and our backyard is a certified native plant habitat by the Texas Parks and Wildlife urban program.
We love Texas native plants so much that we have created the
Native Plants of Texas search engine, http://www.npot.org/ this allows you search by name, color, type of plant and many other ways, check it out, and tell me what you think, we hope that it will be a great help to a lot of people.
Josephine.
Frostweed, do you know about the "Best in Texas" certification? It's a joint program with the Nat'l Wildlife Federation?
Yes, but i don't qualify because I have a cat that is allowed to go outside and I have Nandinas which I planted many years ago and I am in the process of removing.
So I don't qualify for it, are you par of it?
Josephine.
Okay, inquiring minds want to know. Who's certified through the NWF, and who's certified for Best of Texas?
I'm NWF certified. I'd love to be Best of Texas, but we still have too many on the invasives list.
We're getting close. This year we dug out an 18-year-old honeysuckle bed. Not a fun job! But we are replacing it with rock rose, and I like the bed much better now. In March we'll replace the Chinese wisteria with American wisteria. The photinias are also slated to go. That will get rid of most of our invasives... except one.
I'm still having trouble with the nandinas. And, I'll admit, I'm also wondering why I should take them out. I mean, I know they escape and cause problems. My dad's reseed everywhere. But, never, ever, not even one time in 20 years, have I seen a seedling from mine. They are in bad soil. Moreover, they are right up against the house, where birds aren't attracted to them. We enjoy the berries through Christmas, and then I cut them off, and there are never any missing or even any little holes. So, you know, my nandinas have been in my formal front lawn all these years, and they're mature bushes that would be hard to replace. And now that whole area is shaded, and I can see these holes that it would take another 20 years to fill. For all I know, my house might go with them!
So, I don't want to dig them up. I love the whole philosophy behind certification. We've been gardening organically for almost all of those 20 years, and I really love gardening that way. I also understand all the problems created by introduced plants. But... I don't see that my nandinas are doing any harm. And so, the only reason we'd dig them up would be for that piece of paper. Part of me says that would just be silly.
So, convince me.
Josephine... that cat. I know. Once they've been out, it's really hard to bring them back in.
Well, about my cat, she has always been able to go outside and enjoy the outdoors just like everyone else, and I would not take away her freedom, she has as much right as we and the birds and all the other creatures to enjoy her freedom, and I won't lock her up.
About the Nandinas I have had them for over 30 years, and like yours mine did not spread, but I feel that I should not have invasive plants in my yard, so I am slowly eliminating them.
I am certified since 1998, by the Texas Parks and wildlife urban program as a Native Plant Habitat. This is not as stringent as The best of Texas program, so yes you can be certified and have Nandinas too, you just can't be Best of Texas, but that's o.k. with me, I will continue loving, growing and propagating native Texas plants, and be very happy with my cat Angel who loves her freedom to come and go as she pleases.
I don't think I convinced you to take out your Nandinas, but at least you know where I am coming from, and I hope it helps. Here is Angel being her precious self.
Josephine.
Yes, I understand.
Just for those reading who don't know about these programs--you are not automatically disqualified because you have an invasive growing. Depends on how many you have. But both programs do require you to have 50% natives.
pbtxlady is right, to qualify as a Wildscape you only have to plant 50% natives. The "Best" program emphasizes stewardship and sustainable gardening practices.
Josephine, if you practice six of the requirements (and I'll bet you do!) then you still qualify.
As far as invasives go, no more than two are allowed. I admit to having Eleagnus, the only screening shrub I can find that the deer don't devour.
Though I help folks get certified, I'm just happy to see more concern for organic, wildlife friendly gardening, certified or not.
Check out the requirements below for more information-
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildscapes/certification/best_of_tx/
Oh, I should also point out, even though I mentioned wisteria above, it's not on the invasives list in Texas. It is in a number of other states, though.
Jabee, didn't those six requirements also used to be part of Wildscape certification? They're only on Best of Texas now.
I had to go back and look at the TPW website to look at the invasives list and found that the whole program seems to have changed since I was certified. I think you're right.
It seems the list of practices has gotten longer but that gives us more to choose from.
If anyone out there is from Austin please note that Austin is aiming at becoming certified as a community habitat. This means that more schools, churches, businesses and backyards need to be certified. If anyone is interested I can direct you toward the people that will help with your project.