Morgan County Fairground Front Garden Information

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Native Gardens – How to Create One

An overview:

To plant a native garden, first observe your site's light and moisture, then select native plants appropriate for those conditions and will span the bloom seasons. Prepare the planting area by removing grass and weeds. Arrange plants according to your design, dig holes, loosen their root balls, and plant them at the same depth as they were in the pot or slightly higher. Finish by watering deeply and applying a layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Details follow.
 

1. Plan Your Garden:

· Observe your potential garden areas before planting to understand the amount of sun, shade, moisture, and soil type in different areas.  Note how many hours of direct sun different parts of your yard receive. An area that gets at least 6 hours is considered “full sun,” while a shady area would get less than an hour of sun per day. 

· Evaluate your soil moisture by checking how well the soil drains. After a heavy rain, note where puddles remain and where it dries quickly. This will help in choosing plants that are adapted to wet or dry conditions.

· Test your soil type: Native plants do not require amended soil, but understanding your soil type (ex. sandy, clay) will be helpful in selecting plants that will thrive in it.

· Choose Native Plants:

Research native plants for your specific region and select ones that thrive in your observed conditions. Aim for a variety of plants with different bloom times to provide a continuous food source for pollinators from spring to fall. These can include ground covers, flowers, shrubs and even trees.

Talk to or visit on line native plant societies like the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder or Indiana Native Plant Society website.

http://indiananativeplants.org

· Design your Layout:

Create a visual layout on paper. Consider the plants mature sizes, both height and width. Arrange them in masses or drifts for a more natural look. For plants next to a wall or a fence, place taller plants in the back. For island beds, put the tallest plants in the center.

2. Prepare the Planting Site:

· Clear the ground of existing vegetation. Native plants thrive best when they are not competing with other vegetation, especially lawn grass. 

· Sheet mulching (Lasagna Method): Cover the area with a layer of cardboard and top it with organic materials like compost and leaves. You can plant directly into it or let this decompose over a few months and then plant.

· Scraping: For quicker results, use a spade or a sod cutter to manually remove the existing grass and weeds.

· Avoid soil amendments: Native plants are adapted to your native soil. Adding fertilizers and rich compost can cause aggressive growth that can cause plants to flop to the ground.

· Mark your layout with the potted plants on the prepared bed. Use stakes or string to mark the outline of the beds and pathways through it.

3. Planting and Mulching:

· Plant in favorable weather. The best time to plant perennials is in the early spring or fall when the temperatures are moderate with adequate moisture. 

· Use plant plugs (young plants with an established root ball) for faster development and greater success. While seeds are less expensive, the success rate is lower than plugs. For plugs, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball.  Loosen any tangled or circling roots before planting in the hole. Place the plant so the top of the root ball is level with or slightly above the surrounding soil. The new plants may need daily watering for the first few weeks to help them establish. For seeds, follow the seed packet instructions. Water the newly planted area well to settle the soil around the plants.

· Mulch lightly to suppress weeds. Apply a 2-4 inch layer of mulch such as shredded bark, leaves or wood chips. Keep the mulch a few inches away from the plant stems to prevent rot. Once the plants fill in, they will shade the ground and suppress weeds.

4. First Year Care:

· Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a deep root system. Water deeply every week or two depending on the weather rather than frequent watering. Allow the top soil to dry slightly between waterings.

· Do not fertilize. Native plants generally do not need fertilizer since they are adapted to your region’s soil and water conditions. 

· Control weeds especially during the first year to eliminate competition. 

· Patience is required in gardening. It can take up to 3 years for a native garden to fully mature. The plants are growing a strong root system and this takes time. 

5. Fall Clean-up in the Garden:

· In the fall do not remove all the fallen leaves or cut back the dried flowers or dried stems. Many beneficial insects and wildlife overwinter in the leaf litter and hollow stems which provide them shelter. Birds eat the seeds from some of the dried native flowers during the winter. 

     Supporting the native ecosystem is part of having a native garden.

Sources: https://Indiananativeplants.org/landscaping

https://nativeplantdesigns.wildones.org/landscaping/indianapolis

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