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As the weather cools and our yards and gardens wind down for winter, it’s the perfect time to start planning for next spring and summer! Fall planting is a simple way to give native plants a head start. Many native wildflower seeds benefit from winter’s natural cold period, which helps prepare them to germinate when warmer weather returns. In fact, certain important native plants won’t germinate without “cold stratification”, which is a fancy way to say a period of extended cold that facilitates or triggers germination. A little work now can mean more flowers, more pollinators, and a healthier habitat next year.
You might ask, “Okay, Mr. Teddypants, what can I plant right now?”
I’ve got answers!
Native Wildflower Seeds
Native Wildflower Seeds
Tennessee purple coneflower
Tennessee purple coneflower
Echinacea tennesseensis was actually delisted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species List in 2011 due to sustained, statewide conservation efforts!
Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta and Rudbeckia fulgida
Wild bergamot
Wild bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Native milkweeds
Native milkweeds
Monarch butterflies love these, and there are 14 native species, so take your pick!
Native bulbs and bulb-like plants
Native bulbs and bulb-like plants
These bloom in spring and bring early-season color!
Wild Hyacinth
Wild Hyacinth
Camassia scilloides
Virginia spring beauty
Virginia spring beauty
Claytonia virginica
These plants do much more than make a yard beautiful. Their flowers provide nectar and pollen for native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while their seeds can feed birds. Native plants also support the insects that many birds and other wildlife depend on for food. By choosing a variety of species with different bloom times, you can help provide resources throughout the growing season.
Look for locally native seeds and bulbs, prepare the planting area by removing competing weeds, and follow each species’ planting instructions. Just remember to leave the stems for over wintering insects, seedheads for winter food resources, and leaves for both over-wintering insects and vertebrates.
You don’t need a large garden to make a difference. A small patch of native flowers, a sunny corner of the yard, or even a few thoughtfully planted areas can become valuable habitat.
Happy fall garden season and, as always, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
What if each American landowner made it a goal to convert half of his or her lawn to productive native plant communities? Even moderate success could collectively restore some semblance of ecosystem function to more than twenty million acres of what is now ecological wasteland. How big is twenty million acres? It’s bigger than the combined areas of the Everglades, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Teton, Canyonlands, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Badlands, Olympic, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, Denali, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks.
― Douglas W. Tallamy, Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard
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