A Presentation by Native Plant Expert Uli Lorimer
It's the middle of winter here in the Northeast - spring is still more than eight weeks away, but it's never too early to start thinking about the garden.
As many of you know, I am a very serious and passionate gardener and am always interested in learning as much as possible about plants and trees. Yesterday, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, and I joined fellow members of The Bedford Garden Club for a very special presentation by native plant expert, Uli Lorimer, author of "The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden." Uli talked about the importance of growing native plants to heal and enrich our landscapes, provide for beneficial insects and other wildlife, and lessen the amount of maintenance needed in our own backyards. If you don't already have it, I encourage you to pick up his book. It's a wonderful resource for planning a garden filled with native ferns, wildflowers, perennials, shrubs, trees, and other specimens.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Here at my farm, I am always trying to improve the beauty of the landscape. My farm sits on 153 acres of lush pastures and woodlands. This is the carriage road leading to my hayfields, compost yard, and woods.
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- This is the back field, where there are many native trees – many I planted, but many that were here when I purchased the property.
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- I also planted various garden spaces, and included a host of different, interesting, and native specimens.
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- This is Native Plant Trust and Horticulture Director Uli Lorimer. Uli oversees the operations at both Garden in the Woods, Native Plant Trust’s botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts, and Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts, a nursery focused on propagation of and research about New England native plants.
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- His book, published by Timber Press, talks about the native plants of the Northeast and offers ideas for planning a garden filled with native species.
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- In his presentation, Uli explains that growing native plants is an important choice that removes carbon from the air, provides shelter and food for wildlife, and promotes biodiversity.
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- In this slide from Uli, he shares important points for creating the best native plants garden – aim for 70-percent native plants, leave some bare earth, and ask questions whenever visiting the local nursery.
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- Uli talks about witch hazel, a native shrub. I have a lot of witch hazel at my farm. With their fragrant, butter yellow to orange and scarlet red flowers, witch hazels add a lovely spark of life to otherwise gray winter landscapes. Although witch hazel has many common names, its generic name means “together with fruit” – it is the only tree in North America to have flowers, ripe fruit, and next year’s leaf buds on its branches at the same time. Their diversity, beauty, and all-season appeal make them one of the most well-loved garden specimens.
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- He recommends Solomon’s Seal wildflowers with their graceful, arching stems and white fragrant blooms. This Solomon’s Seal is in the garden behind my Tenant House. In late summer, these plants show off small blue-green fruit that birds and other small animals love.
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- Another native is rudbeckia, also known as Black-Eyed Susan. These are popular and versatile flowers in the garden – and a big favorite for pollinators. In autumn, the seeds are eaten up by visiting birds.
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- Uli also explains that it is sometimes challenging to find native plants. The important thing is to talk to reputable gardeners and landscape architects in one’s area.
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- Fortunately, there is a lot of improvement. Nurseries are stocking more native plants and there has been a marked increase in availability and sales over the last few years.
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- Uli says the best way to start a native plant garden is to understand the conditions of one’s yard – what kind of light the space has, how much moisture is available, and what is the condition of the soil.
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- Birds depend largely on native plants for nesting. This is a Chickadee.
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- And this is a Chickadee at my farm. According to the Audubon Society, my farm welcomes more than 125-different species of wild birds. I feed them all year round.
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- These birds are perched in a tree outside my Winter House kitchen and terrace, but there are so many birds all around because I offer them many trees and shrubs for nesting.
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- Pollinators need native plants in order to get sufficient amounts of nectar and pollen.
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- Here is a slide of salix, also known as pussy willow. I have an entire grove of pussy willows – also good for pollinators.
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- There are so many beautiful native plants one can add to the garden. I hope this inspires you to add native specimens to yours, and to learn more about how these plants can help the wildlife and the environment. Remember to pick up a copy of Uli Lorimer’s book, “The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.” And get ready for spring – it’s only eight weeks and five days away!
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