By Emi EndoPosted November 04, 2021
Late autumn is a great time to plan and plant ahead for the spring.
A Chesapeake Bay Program volunteer plants a native tree in a newly-constructed rain garden. Photo courtesy of the Chesapeake Bay Program.
If you began sprucing up your yard during the pandemic, keep that momentum going and imagine what you want to see after emerging from next winter. Along with seeding and fertilizing your lawn and safely storing chemicals before temperatures hit freezing, take advantage of these resources to add more life to your landscape.
Add hardy plants to your landscape, and make sure to think regionally. Why? Native plants have advantages because they're adapted to your region's climate.
Here are examples of some of Virginia's native plants:
Photos by Gary Fleming & I.T. Wilson. Pictured: 1) Solidago 2) Mountain Laurel 3) Scarlet Beebalm 4) Flame Azalea 5) Brown-eyed Susan 6) Red Mulberry (bloomed) 7) Yellow Jessamine 8) Red Elderberry (bloomed)
Download a free guide for your area:
Learn more about the benefits of native plants — and the troubles with invasive species — from DCR's Natural Heritage program and organizations such as the Virginia Native Plant Society. The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is hosting the Grow Native Series: Conservation Landscaping with Natives through November 9, 2021.
The Department of Forestry has nurseries that grow seedlings for a wide variety of tree species. The nurseries offer them for sale at cost to private and public landowners for foresting lands in Virginia.
Pictured is a flower cluster from the shadbush (Amelanchier), a small, deciduous tree that grows in the coastal plain.
In the Richmond area, Richmond Tree Stewards and Reforest Richmond gave away trees for ArborDayRVA on November 6, 2021.
Instead of raking or blasting a leaf-blower to cart away all your tree leaves this fall, turn them into beneficial compost for next year's flower and vegetable beds.
"Compost is produced when organic matter, such as garden and lawn waste, is broken down by bacteria and fungi. When added to soil, it improves soil structure; sandy soils will hold water better while clays will drain faster. Compost also promotes biologically healthy soil by providing food for earthworms, soil insects, and beneficial microorganisms." as stated in the Virginia Cooperative Extension's Using Compost in Your Landscape brochure.
Try out composting by leaving your leaves.
Categories
Native Plants | Natural Heritage | Nature | Soil and Water Conservation
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native plants