So I will put this text into italics.
And this text will be bold!
Nothing is harder than reading a color word, when the font is in a different color than the word itself, such as red, blue, green.
Living the Good Life
Folks, we here at The Native Indiana Landscape believe wholeheartedly in the Good Life. Our version of that will differ slightly or greatly from other people’s, but we believe in it and encourage you to wholeheartedly pursue it.
For us, the Good Life is lived outside, in a Created world, where all things work together in Mufasa’s Circle of Life. Obviously, we want the Created things to remain in their Created places and interact with their Created friends, but there is more to the Good Life than just that.
Don’t live your Good Life on the internet. Don’t come to the Web asking how your life should look. Don’t let anyone else set the standard or list the requirements for your Good Life. The only one responsible for your Good Life, is you. And no matter where you get the ideas or whose lead you follow, you are the only person will live your Good Life.
With that in mind, here is The Native Indiana Landscape prescription for a Good Life. Read it. Consider it. Then shut off your computer and start living your Good Life.
- Renew your spirit in a natural place
- Breathe in the crisp, clean air the Lord provides to you
- Speak out loud to the trees and birds all the negativity and swirling thoughts inside your head
- Breathe in fresh air as the Light shines on your spoken darkness and the wind carries it away
- Contemplate the connections you see in the nature around you: the plants depend on the bugs which depend on the plants which depend on the water which depends on the clouds which depend on the trees which depend on the animals
- Leave this natural place and make real life connections with real life people that you can depend on
Jane Goes Native!
A video, otherwise known as “Blog Post #5”. There are many different types of pollinators, and thousands of different species in each type. These pollinators and the plants they depend on have evolved together for thousands of years, and without a healthy ecosystem in whatever your native habitat is, life cannot thrive.
Choosing the right plant for the desired effect
In my last post I laid out a site for a new woodland area in an otherwise treeless portion of the landscape. The homeowner desires a restful, shady spot to relax as well as a screen to hide the neighbor’s house across the field. When making a new landscaping bed, the homestretch is the actual planting. The most important work comes when selecting the plants you put into the bed; making sure what you put in the ground is going to behave how you are wanting it to.
In our planned woodland area, you must create layers of shade. If you only plant tall trees you will only have specimen trees that throw shade on the ground around them. But for a true woodland you need large trees, interspersed with medium-height trees, some small or shrubby trees, along with shrubs and then ground plants and cover. Thinking along these lines will give you a woodland planting that looks like it occurred naturally and has always been there, and provides food and habitat for numerous species of birds and mammals. This layering of the canopy will also provide the deep shade the homeowner desires.
The following table presents some possible specimen for each canopy layer along with some of their attributes and requirements.
| Specimen | Height | Light/Moisture | Fruiting | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak | Large | Sun/Well Drained | Yes, Nuts | Attract wildlife, Fall Color |
| Maple | Large | Sun or Shade/Well Drained | No | Fall Color, Spring sap |
| KY Coffee Tree | Large | Sun/Well Drained | Yes, Nuts | Winter interest, Coffee substitute |
| Beech | Large | Sun or Shade/Well Drained | Yes, Nuts | Attract wildlife |
| Hackberry | Medium | Sun/Well Drained | Yes, Berries | Attracts Birds and Pollinators |
| Sassafras | Medium | Part Sun/Well Drained | No | Fall Color, Tea |
| Mulberry | Medium | Sun/Well Drained | Yes, Berries | Attract wildlife |
| Smoke Tree | Small or Shrub | Sun or Shade/Well Drained | No | Yearlong Color, Summer Bloom |
| Hornbeam | Small | Sun or Shade/Well Drained | Yes, Nuts and Hops | Attract wildlife, Fall Color, Great for Climbing |
| Nannyberry | Shrub | Sun or shade/Well Drained | Yes, Berries | Attract wildlife, Fall Color, Edible |
Creating a new planting bed
You know you want to incorporate native plants in your landscape, but you’re unsure of what to do next…or first! There is a tried and true process to follow, and I can give you those steps, but you will have to fill in with your own creativity and desires for your individual landscape.
- Choose an area in your landscape to transform. In our graphic example the homeowner is wanting to create a woodland area to provide shade to this otherwise treeless portion of the landscape, and block the view of their neighbor’s house.
- Put your plan on paper. This plan should have measurements, ordinal directions noted, any nearby landscaping beds, trees, and structures should be included. Include a list of plants you are considering for the area, as well as a layout of those plants in the proposed planting bed.
- Use a garden hose to outline the perimeter of your new bed. View it from all angles, noting its shape and keeping in mind the height and width of the plants you are wanting to put there. Will the plants coexist well? Is the shape of the bed going to be easy to maintain or could some changes be made? Now is the time to answer these questions: before you have actually broken sod. (It may be hard to see, but the first photo above has a green garden hose outlining the planned landscaping bed.)
- Put in your planting bed. There are two main ways this can be done. You can put down 5-7 layers of newspaper within the planned perimeter of the new bed and cover it with several inches of mulch. If you don’t mind waiting several weeks or even from fall to spring, this is the easiest method. If you’re wanting to get planting now you will need to remove the sod with a spade or with a more powerful sod remover. The size of your bed and your budget may dictate which sod removal method you use.
- Amend your soil. Once the sod is gone you can perform a soil test and amend it as needed. Starting your soil out right will help avoid plant health or growth problems later. Doing these amendments before planting is important as some amendments need time to “settle” and really disperse into the soil.
- Start planting! After your soil amendments have had time to incorporate fully into the planting bed it is time to plant. Seeds and plants should be purchased from certified growers. Each particular plant will have its own planting instructions, depending on the pot size, time of year, and the plant itself. Your nursery staff can answer any questions you have.
- Watch it grow!
Incorporating Natives into the Home Landscape
Starting with a bare landscape
A bare landscape is like a clean palette: your options are nearly endless. You decide what plants you like. You decide the look you want. You decide on the feeling you want to achieve. This scenario has the most options, but can also be the most intimidating.
Go with the flow
Is your site sunny? Use native plants that love the sun. Damp location? There’s a native for that! Shady woodland area? There are beautiful blooming Indiana natives to brighten your walk in the woods.
Against the grain
You have an open sunny field and like a nice prairie or meadow. But wouldn’t a woodland garden be nice? Start from the top and work down by creating your own shade. Use trees of different heights that provide layers of shade, from towering maples, mid-height Smoke trees, and bushy elderberry. Once those are established you can fill in ground level with flowers of your choice.
Working with existing landscaping
If there are already plants, landscape beds, or hardscape in place your options become more limited (provided you are going to leave them where they are). You can intersperse natives into the existing landscape, make mass plantings in adjoining areas, or utilize your natives as focal points in the garden.
I’m ready to start planting!
So you think you’re ready to plant? Follow these steps, regardless of your situation.
- Aggressively eliminate any invasive plants
- Determine sunlight and your site’s dampness
- Complete a soil test and any subsequent amendments
- Choose light and dampness-appropriate plants from a certified grower
- Start planting!
Why Native?
The wildlife in any given area have adapted over thousands of years to rely on the plants that are readily available in their region. These animals depend on those plants for food, shelter, and reproduction among other things. Individual ecosystems are dependent on every member of the system being present in order for the system to remain healthy and functioning.
Pictured here is a common milkweed plant blooming in the field around my house. Monarch caterpillars have evolved to feed only on milkweed, a plant native to many areas of the US, including southern Indiana. As fields and meadows are converted into parking lots and housing additions this important food source is disappearing. Because of this monarch populations are dwindling. There are programs in place to re-establish milkweed and other native blooming plants on private lands in order to attract the monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Pollinators (butterflies, bees, birds, etc) are an integral part of food production. No pollinators, no food. That is why we’re going native!
The Native Indiana Landscape 