Tag Archives: native garden

Garden Success Story: From California to Newton

Posted on by Katie Schmidt

When Ron and Kathy Smith moved to Newton from California, they had a bit of garden trouble. “If I just looked at stuff wrong, it died,” said Ron of his first attempts at landscaping. The growing conditions were totally different than what they were accustomed to. The Kansas climate was much more extreme, and the plants they where previously familiar with were not hardy here. Eventually they decided to work with Dyck Arboretum staff to create a landscape plan with native perennials from our area. Ron thought that if they used plants that were already found here naturally, “then maybe I won’t kill it!”. 

Designing and Prep

Ron drew up a sketch of his ideas for the garden and shared this with Scott during the design process.

The project began in 2019. Ron and Kathy had a sketch of their idea: large curving beds around the front and side yard, with stone lined paths through the gardens. The couple communicated their goals and vision for the space, and Scott Vogt drew a design for the front yard and foundation plantings. He helped the couple with plant selection, number of plants and proper spacing, and timing the bloom for all year interest. The beds include favorites like Penstemon, Echinacea, and ornamental native grasses, as well as some unique showstoppers like Rudbeckia maxima. When it’s in bloom, “people stop and ask about it,” said Ron of the tall statement plant. He remarked how often he sees birds perching on it. He has been known to give out the seed heads of this plant, and many others, to passersby who are interested in trying them in their own garden. 

Installation and Maintenance

Garden hoses can be helpful tools when deciding on where to put curves and borders.
The first beds installed were those around the front porch and sidewalk.
The entire lawn was killed off and replanted after the landscaping was finished.

When they first planted the garden, they used drip irrigation, though they haven’t used it much once the garden matured. They used landscape fabric as a weed barrier on the initial install, though their experience with it has been mixed. “We didn’t know what we didn’t know,” says Ron. Weeds still come up through it, and the fabric can make them difficult to pull. It also slows or stops the natural spread of the plants which is part of the beauty of a prairie garden. Ron mentioned that he has cut out quite a bit of fabric to allow the plants room to spread. Here at the arboretum we don’t use fabric in our beds because it can be such a hassle, and instead we opt for temporary and biodegradable solutions like cardboard with mulch over the top. 

Change as Part of the Process

Some plants did well right away, and others had to be replaced or shifted to find the right fit. Even with the fabric in place, some perennials have seeded in, moved around, and or cropped up in different places than expected. Ron’s philosophy? “Don’t be too stuck on the design”. Plants move and change, and every year the garden will be a bit different. This is part of the beauty and interest, and something he looks forward to. “I have no problem letting the plants have their own ways.”

Despite a few hiccups, the garden has thrived. It attracts birds, butterflies, insects of all kinds, along with the occasional raccoon and armadillo! It is a season long treat for anyone who walks or drives by, and a great example of how converting a bit of lawn to garden can create beauty and habitat in our neighborhoods.

We love to help people dream up beautiful and ecologically friendly landscapes. If you are interested in a landscape consultation from one of our staff members, please fill out this form. Note that best planting times are April and September, and proper site prep can take many months, so be sure to plan ahead!

*All photos for this blog were taken by Ron Smith.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Posted on by Katie Schmidt

Many of our readers and webinar participants have asked for an update on my native front yard project, and I am happy to oblige! As with every native garden, it had it’s ‘ugly duckling’ phase wherein it was more mulch than garden. This is normal, and patience is key to getting past this phase. Given the right conditions and enough time to mature, native plants will thrive and thrill you.

An Earth-Friendly Garden

Would you believe that not all gardens are ‘green’? I wanted to avoid the use of too many exotics, which take a lot of extra irrigation and often do not provide food for wildlife and insects. My goal two years ago was to decrease the amount of lawn in my landscape and increase quality habitat in my area. Since then I have been pleased to host buckeye, skipper, and monarch caterpillars. I have seen many species of birds swooping over my garden to eat the flies and moths that hang around. With very low water needs, this landscape helps keep my household water consumption low.

Grey Santolina and purple skullcap anchor the front of my low-growing native landscape.
Limestone edging along the curb stops my mulch from sliding away in heavy rains. I also found a few interesting boulders to serve as substrate for hen and chicks. They make a nice focal point, and add structure.

The Best Laid Plants

While we talk a lot about careful planning and design as keys to success with a native garden, a dash of spontaneity keeps the garden fun and fresh. After initial planting, I continued to add plants and deviate from my written plan. That’s okay! Adding lambs ear from my grandmother’s house, and strawberry mint from my parent’s greenhouse made the garden more personal and functional. I continue to fill in gaps here and there as I see them appear. I have learned an important lesson from all of this: if a certain plant doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean you failed or that you aren’t a good gardener. It might just mean it wasn’t in the right spot! Fill that space with something else you like and try again.

White flowers of thyme spill onto my sidewalk, contrasted with the silvers of lambs ear
and the chartreuse leaves of bluebeard and sumac.

Plant Selection

I mixed natives and non-natives to create a landscape that speaks to me; a space that is visually pleasing and ecologically friendly. Here are some of my favorites that are all growing well together:

  • lamb’s ear (Stachys bizantina)
  • fame flower (Talinum calycinum)
  • bluebeard (Caryopteris sp.)
  • skullcap (Scuttelaria resinosa ‘Smokey Hills’)
  • ornamental onion (Allium spp. )
  • Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuisimma)
  • prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
  • grey lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus)
  • sand cherry (Prunus besseyii ‘Pawnee Buttes’)
  • perky sue (Hymenoxys scaposa)
  • horsetail milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
  • dwarf false indigo (Baptisia australis var. minor)
  • thyme, oregano, and lavender
Lots of growth in 2.5 years! Be patient with your garden, and it will repay you in beauty.

Stay tuned for future updates as this planting matures and continues to change. We have had such great enthusiasm around our Native Front Yard classes, making me hopeful that many of you are on the journey to more sustainable front yards as well!