Region
Twin Cities Metro Area
City
St. Paul
Project Type(s)
Pocket Planting
Template(s) Used
Shade Garden for Pollinators (BWSR)
Site Conditions
Part Sun
Gardener Name
Lyda M
Gardener Comments
This garden replaced a fallen pine tree (lost in a storm). I have a bit of a black thumb. A lot of my initial plantings didn’t do well in the ever increasing shade of my yard. I decided not to let that discourage me, so I am continuing to try out more shade-tolerant natives. Admittedly, too, I don’t have a lot of spring-flowering plants in this garden yet. I do in other parts of the yard, so I am hoping to eventually get this garden to be more all-season. If I had any advice to give someone starting to nativize their yard–someone like me who isn’t necessarily a gardener–it’s not to give up. Some plants just won’t like the soil or the amount of light and you just have to keep trying to find the right one for the spot you have. That is true, I suppose for all gardens, but it seems especially true for native ones.
Despite my constant struggle, I feel like this project is worthwhile. We live not far from a very successful native garden (the Minnesota Watershed building) and just wandering around those grounds yesterday was very inspiring. I believe in re-wildling, in native plantings, so, again–if you’re new to this, don’t give up! It takes time!
Wildlife Observed
Interestingly, this year I know we’ve had fairly active bug life because several of my natives are showing signs of being FOOD–I have some laced out leaves and other signs of active munching. I was telling a friend that, while I am growing a native garden in part for the pretty flowers, its real purpose is to exist to be hosts and food for the bugs… so even though I’m disappointed that my rudbeckia is looking a bit sad this year, it’s clearly food for someone!
