Dave Sutherland, Boulder, CO. -- No water gardening.

Q. What inspired you to start native plant gardening?

A. Back in the early 1990s I lived and worked in the Galápagos Islands. The islands have a unique and fragile ecology with many rare and endemic species, but those ecosystems are threatened by non-native organisms imported by the residents from the South American mainland. Many of the imports are exotic ornamental plants for landscapes, and some of these imports have gone out of control and invaded areas of the national park with disastrous effects. I had a crazy idea: could I create an attractive landscape using just Galápagos native plants, as a way to reduce the importation of ornamentals. I created a very pretty landscape around my rental house - and demonstrated that it could be done! When my work in Galápagos was over and we moved to Colorado, I brought the idea with me and was surprised and delighted to find some people creating native Colorado-scapes here. It turns out my crazy idea was shared by others.

Q. What are your gardening goals?

A. I’ve got several goals, actually - in no particular order. I want to create a habitat for local plants and animals by creating a diverse little slice of native ecosystem in my yard; I want to create a landscape who’s maintenance is sustainable in Colorado’s environment - no reliance on extra water, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. and resilient to the vagaries of our local climate; and I want to create an attractive showcase garden that inspires others to add native plants to their own landscapes for the reasons above. Colorado’s climate is very different from the East Coast, and yet we try to copy their landscaping choices (like that poser at a party who pretends to be someone they're not - nobody is fooled). Native plants allow us to develop a unique “Colorado-scape” aesthetic that reflects our environment and our state.

Q. What are your challenges / how have you overcome them?

A. One challenge has been the increasing amount of shade in my garden. As my native trees and shrubs grew up, they shaded out my full sun garden areas and I had to switch to alternative plants that love dry shade. Fortunately, many native wildflowers and shrubs of the foothills grow under the cover of ponderosa pine forests - and by definition are dry shade plants! I’ve been so successful with converting to dry shade that I wrote up a plant list of easy to grow dry shade natives, available here: https://www.davesutherland.co/gardening-colorado-native-plants Another challenge has been removing Kentucky bluegrass. It’s viciously tenacious and keeps coming back from the grave like some creature in a horror movie. There are now commercial lawn removal services that use a variety of different methods. I have had the most success with covering my lawn in large sheets of cardboard scavenged from Ecocycle, which I lay over the grass and weigh down with lots of mulch and raked autumn leaves. After 2 years, the cardboard degraded into the soil with the mulch, and it killed the bluegrass… mostly.

Q. What is you advice for someone who wants to add native plants?

A. Over the years, I’ve made just about every mistake in the book. Here are some thoughts:

• Use native plants from your ecoregion, and when possible, avoid cultivars (cultivated varieties of native plants created by plant breeders). Locally-sourced native plants will grow better in your specific climate, and research suggests they are more appealing to pollinators.

• Use your downspouts as sources of free water, and plant your less-xeric natives under them. Each downspout can supply a little rain garden.

• A Kentucky bluegrass lawn is almost an ecological dead space: it provides almost no value to wildlife. But killing your lawn is really hard! Do research into what works best in your region, and consider that you may have to pay someone to do it professionally. The bluegrass is remarkably tenacious.

• Don’t over plan your garden. Within a few years, plants will move around, spread on their own, get bigger than you expected, some will try to take over and others just may not grow for you even though they grow for your friends. In 10 years, your garden will not resemble your initial plan. Roll with the changes as nature asserts itself.

• Consider native trees and shrubs as well as flowers to provide cover and a multi-layered habitat. Animals are attracted to the vertical structure of a mature garden, which provides places for them to feed, hide and nest.

• Don’t forget to add some native grasses to your garden as well. Some are really beautiful!

• If you’re growing all natives to your eco-region, don’t spend money on an irrigation system. Natives don’t need it once established - they have grown for thousands of years without anyone watering them and can exist just fine on what nature provides. The exception is transplants - they will need TLC with water and care. July and August can be very harsh hot and dry for young plants, so try to transplant as early in the year as you can.

• Be careful choosing landscapers. Many have no clue about native plants or their needs - despite what they may tell you. Your best bet is to maintain your garden yourself, rather than rely on a contractor to care for your garden. They may pull up your natives thinking they are weeds, water them when they don’t need it, throw down a ton of unnecessary mulch, etc. I would never trust a landscaping company near my garden.

• Be patient with your garden - it may take 5 years for it to really come into its own. Then it will surprise you!

• When you find insect “pests” eating your plants, that’s actually good! A garden that supports the ecosystem and attracts wildlife is full of insects. Part of the crises that insects are facing is due to a scarcity of host plants. Aphids feed ladybugs. Caterpillars feed baby birds, and grow up to become moths that feed bats.

• How many native plants is best? The more diversity you plant - the more kinds and species - the more opportunities you provide for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. In a diverse garden, something is always blooming to feed pollinators at every time of the growing season (which also makes your garden more attractive!) More kinds of plants mean more kinds of insects, both pollinators that specialize in one kind of flower and larvae that specialize in one host plant. Different kinds of fruiting native shrubs will spread the fruit harvest out over the spring and summer so birds can always find something to eat.

• Pace yourself! It is very easy to bite off too big a project. Converting a landscape to natives is a huge undertaking, so work on it in stages. Always factor future maintenance into the equation. I have seen many gardens planned and implemented by consultants subsequently become eyesore weed patches since there was no plan or budget for follow-through. Maintenance is forever.

ON THE PATH TO NATIVE PLANTS – GARDENERS’ STORIES