Creating A Native Wildflower Garden
As many gardeners begin to plan and prepare for the garden season ahead, you may have in mind specific color palettes, design styles, and auras that you are looking to instill throughout your landscape. While these concepts are certainly a large part of the fun in gardening, we want to remind you of the core roots and purpose of a garden beyond the beauty, and that is the sheer support and admiration of Mother Nature.
Growing a native wildflower garden is a great way to enjoy the beauty of nature while also supporting your local environment. In this blog, we will highlight the benefits of planting native bloomers and suggest a few of our favorite early spring cultivars to start your thriving oasis.
Benefits of Native Flowers
Wildlife Support
The number one benefit of native blooming plants is their innate ability to support wildlife. Native flowers provide nectar and pollen sources crucial for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. In addition to nectar, native plants also provide shelter and nesting sites for wildlife working to maintain the balance of the ecosystem.
Low Maintenance
The next benefit of growing native flowers is their low-maintenance nature. Native flowering plants are adopted to the local climate, so they require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive compared to non-native plant varieties. Plant native so you can spend less time and money tending to your garden and more time enjoying it!
Climate Resilience
In addition to being low-maintenance, native cultivars are better equipped to handle local weather extremes like drought or heavy rain. Native plants have evolved over time to adapt to specific environmental conditions in their native region naturally. Native flowers are not only beautiful, they are strong!
Best Native Bloomers For Early Spring
Some of the most breathtaking native plants are the first to explode into a vibrant sea of blooms in early spring! Below are a few of our early-season favorites.
Eastern Redbud Tree
While trees aren’t likely what comes to mind when you think of native wildflowers, the Eastern Redbud tree is such a standout addition to native gardens! As early as April, you can look forward to a flush of bold fuchsia blooms that cover the bare branches of this tree. Then, in late spring through summer, you can enjoy the unique heart-shaped foliage.
Aquilegia
Delicate fern-like foliage is towered by colorful bell-shaped flowers with spurred petals on this breathtaking native wildflower. Aquilegia, also known as columbine or ‘Granny’s Bonnet,’ comes in a range of different colors, from orange and yellow to pink and purple, and it is a staple in any native wildflower garden. These gorgeous bloomers are one of the first sources of nectar to pollinators in early spring.
Carolina Jessamine
What if, this year, you expanded your garden beyond the flower beds by creating a cascading wall of blooms? The best way to do this is through growing the native vining goddess, Carolina Jessamine. Plant along fences, trellises, and arbors, and watch as Carolina Jessamine explodes into a waterfall of golden yellow trumpet-shaped blooms.
Emerald Blue Phlox
A carpet of purple blooms is such a magical way to begin the spring season. Emerald Blue Creeping Phlox is a low-growing, fast-spreading ground cover perennial that we can’t get enough of. Pale periwinkle blooms emerge in abundance in early spring. This hardy perennial loves the sun, attracts pollinators, and is resistant to deer.
Shop Native Blooms Online
When you choose to plant native, you make a direct impact by providing habitats for pollinators and other wildlife, reducing soil erosion, conserving resources, and and guarding your home against pollutants in the air, water, and soil. We hope you keep these benefits in mind when planning your garden this season!
Shop our wide range of native plants online today and enjoy shipment directly to your doorstep.