Turning your yard into a Monet

What image springs to mind when you think about Monet’s garden paintings: the bridge, right? This is a good example of the power of hardscaping to draw people into a garden. Most of our yards don’t have room for a bridge, but natural curves and even just a chair or statue to serve as a focal point transform the viewing experience. These are just a couple examples of the ability of thoughtful design to make a yard full of native plants a place that pleases the passersby while providing sanctuary for the birds and butterflies.

Native plants are the key to the sanctuary part. Birds and butterflies don’t care how it looks, as long as the plants with which they evolved are there to provide food for their nestlings and caterpillars. But humans care a lot about aesthetics and often worry that a native plant garden will look weedy. This is a misconception. In fact, the majority of common garden weeds such as chickweed and dandelions are actually non-native plantsI Some native plants would look better in a meadow than in a yard, but there are numerous neat-and-tidy species that that can evoke Monet’s Giverny or even Versailles, if you want to go that far toward regimentation. In that case, the idea would be to use a simple plant palette with species such as Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) or Gayfeather (Liatris spicata). Or you could stick to shrubs such as Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) or Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica).  Or just go for the arboretum look. Our native trees provide by far and away the most food for caterpillars.

Native plants such as those provide color against a beautiful green background. Nevertheless, if you want people to notice the butterflies, something more may be needed. Most people seem to look at gardens the same way they look at a painting: something to admire briefly before walking on. If you give them a shaded bench or another reason to linger, they are more likely to appreciate the true value of your sanctuary.

The Plant NOVA Natives page on design tips is a good place to find advice on both plant choice and human aesthetics. It includes a discussion on minimizing the maintenance requirements, which is something of interest to everyone, no matter how much or little they enjoy gardening.

Spring may be the most popular planting time, but the experts know that the best time to plant is actually in the fall. So start hitting the garden centers soon! And maybe pick up a pretty bird bath while you are at it.