Poundridge Nurseries, Inc. - Blog

Not everyone knows it but the majority of the garden plants found at your local nursery originated from a few mountain valleys in China and Japan. Plant hunting, as a profession, was a popular alternative for those less blood thirsty adventure seekers of the 1800s, most notably the leisure class of England. Gentlemen plant hunters like Kingdon-Ward, Forrest, and Wilson achieved fame by discovering plants that would satisfy the growing demand of English gardeners for the new and unusual. Most of the best finds at that time were made in the mountains in China’s North-Western Yunnan Province where the ancestors of many of today’s garden plants covered the hillsides and filled the valleys. In time, as English gardening trends crossed the Atlantic to the United States, the origin of traditional garden plants, like primroses (Primulas sikkimensis) and others was forgotten. In the process beautiful plants native to our continent, like trillium (Trillium), beardstongue (Penstemon), and ginger (Asarum) were overlooked. But today there is renewed interest in plants that are native to areas throughout the United States and growers are expanding our plant palette with new varieties of native plants now available at local nurseries.

Native plants are the smart choice for low maintenance, eco-friendly gardeners because native plants are naturally suited to local soil and climate conditions. This helps them survive times of stress like drought, eliminating the need for irrigation, and helps them thrive naturally when conditions are favorable for growth. Native plants have evolved to fit the cycles of their home region and therefore they require less work to grow well. Gardeners can simply step aside and allow nature to take over.

The trick to gardening with natives is to choose the right plant for the right place. Forest dwellers like trillium are best grown in humus-rich soil in the shade of existing trees while a native grass like bluestem wants deep soil and full, hot sun to match their prairie grassland habitat. Native plants make a garden look and feel like it belongs and ironically, their less-than-perfect aesthetic is becoming the calling card of some of the most refined landscapes designs across the country.

–Daryl Beyers, Landscape Designer

SPECIAL OFFER: PRINT A COPY OF THIS BLOG AND BRING IT TO POUNDRIDGE NURSERIES TO RECEIVE 10% OFF THE PURCHASE OF OUR SELECT NATIVE PERENNIALS.