Cut water use by gardening with native plants

Landscaping with native plants is a great way to create low-maintenance, water wise gardens said the experts at a recent native plants meeting that combined landscaping tips with weed-combating strategies.
Native plants have developed over millennia in Montana’s arid, cold ecosystem, and are well suited to the typical hot-cold-wet-dry seasonal weather patterns experienced in western Montana. They can add visual diversity to a garden or landscape, through architectural shapes and non-flowering color, while flowering natives can often endure the driest weeks of summer without the daily fuss that typical garden plants require to survive.
There are different ideas about gardening with natives, said Richard Rogers of the Calypso chapter of Montana’s Native Plant Society. Rogers is a revegetation expert who does site reclamation using native plants.
Some people feel nature will “claw its way back” no matter what, he said, while others prefer to “assist nature” with irrigation, soil preparation and the like.
Rogers said the approach you choose is really up to you – and how many acres or square feet you have to work with. The smaller the plot, the more you can amend your approach, he said. Regardless of your choice, Rogers said, the secret to growing native plants “is matching plants to habits.”
If you have a shady spot, don’t try growing a sun-loving flower there. If you have a sandy spot, don’t plant a water loving tree. “You’re not gonna grow aspen on a dry prairie,” he said.
In order to mimic nature, Rogers said you have to think about how the plant lives in the wild. Most natives drop seed in the fall, he said, then experience winter dormancy. “If you seed natives,” he said, “you shouldn’t expect them to come up the first year.” The seeds need to lie dormant through a winter cycle before they can germinate, he said. When landscaping, Rogers prefers using plants. That approach, he smiled, “Is faster and more assured than seed.”
Rogers also said to think in terms of micro habitats. “A chink in concrete is similar to a chink in rock,” Rogers said. “It might not look like native habitat, but it can act like it.”
For urban and suburban gardeners, Rogers recommends asters as an easy-to-grow native flower that establishes quickly and provides visual interest. Other natives that grow well in our area are flaxes, evening primrose, and coneflowers. Shrubs that do particularly well here are big sage brush, flowering potentilla, serviceberry, snowberry and any of the gooseberries, he said.
In order to keep native plantings healthy, they must be watered. But, warns Bill Allen of Allen Landscaping and Nursery, “Over-watering is one of the biggest mistakes made when landscaping with native plants.” Because the plants have evolved in Montana’s arid climate, over-watering can be detrimental. Flowering natives such as penstemon can actually be killed by too much water. Trees, however, are a different story.
“A spruce tree in hot, windy weather will take a hundred gallons of water a day - that’s a lot of water,” Allen remarked. “Of course,” he said, “soil type determines” how much supplemental water a tree needs. Heavy clay soils retain moisture, while sandy soils dry out quickly and require more.
The Native Plant Society’s Patrick Plantenberg recommends using mulch to conserve soil moisture and discourage competition from weeds. And, he said, mulches can be decorative in and of themselves. So, while “there’s no such thing as no maintenance landscapes,” Platenberg said, mulches helps get you closer to that dream.
If you are planting your yard to attract birds, Rogers said, species diversity is important, but structural diversity is even more so. Birds need plants of varying heights and cover densities to provide habitat for them to feed and raise their young in safety, he said. “Physiognomic diversity matters.”
As for weeds, Jeanne Caddy, a weed control expert from Divide, said educating oneself about weeds is the best defense against them. “It’s important to learn to identify weeds before they become a problem,” she said.
Because many desirable natives have counterparts in the weed world, Caddy reminded gardeners it’s just as important to learn to identify native plants as well. “You don’t want to pull up your good plants,” she said.
Managing small infestations is the foremost step a person can take to keep weeds from spreading, she added. Pulling weeds from your garden or lawn and properly disposing of them can keep the invaders in check. While a weed here or there doesn’t seem like much now, uncontrolled, they can take over.
Other tips are just as easy. “Take the burrs off your dog,” she instructed, “and instead of throwing them on the ground, throw them in the garbage.”
No matter what you want to grow, the Native Plant Society encourages you to start at home. Many local garden supply outlets carry native plants or their close relatives, and have informed staff that can help you decide what plants will work best in your yard or garden.