The Wonderful World of Gardening with Native Plants

As I survey my little piece of the world, I bemoan the decline of the beautiful bellflowers with their stalks of cerulean blue blooms. These have been one of the go-to plants for my bees and butterflies all summer long. Now I am collecting seeds from the stalks in anticipation of propagating some of these beautiful flowers for my garden and some to share with friends. The salvias are still hanging in there for a while, and the giant 10 foot tall Ironweed is taking up the slack from those that are beginning to fade. Joe Pye Weed is a not too distant memory for all those swallowtails who devoured its nectar just a few weeks ago. And the liatris this year was spectacular with its spears of fuzzy lavender blooms that lured insects with its abundance of nectar.
But what’s going to happen to all my pollinators and hummingbirds when the summer blooms fade? Not to worry, help is on the way! The Late Flowering Boneset is just beginning to open its hundred of small white blooms. Some of the asters are just beginning to bolo while others will be blooming in a week or two. These asters are a major source of nectar and pollen for the wildlife. Soon the goldenrods will burst open with their sunny yellow blooms, providing one of the most valuable food sources in the garden. Yes, I said goldenrod. And no, these are not the cause of your autumn allergy symptoms. The goldenrod pollen is not wind borne, as the grains of pollen are too heavy to be blown about by the wind. Your culprit is most likely ragweed, a somewhat nondescript native that is in bloom as the same time as the goldenrod. You are probably wondering what to do to provide for the pollinators in your yards this fall. Help is on the way! On Saturday, September 17, the West Georgia Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society will host its annual workshop, featuring speakers, native plant sales, and vendors with garden related items.
Our program this year will feature Wilf Nicholls, PhD director of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, discussing his take on gardening with natives including the pitfalls you want to avoid. Additionally, Gail Woody, well known butterfly and hummingbird expert, will present a program on the 3 B’s of a flower garden-bees, birds, and butterflies.
Robert and Patsy Barr, well known by garden club members for their inviting home gardens that feature many native plants will show you how you can build your own bog garden using native plants and a common plastic container.
Registration will be from 8-8:45 on Saturday morning. There is no preregistration and the program is free to the public. Ernest Koone will be on hand with a nice selection of native perennials and shrubs that will attract pollinators to your garden. Southern Home and Ranch will have unique garden items available along with some of their plants. The West Georgia Chapter will have a collection of plants for sell as well. A new addition to our vendor group this year is Night Song Native Plant Nursery. I’ve seen her plant list and it is going to make your home garden into a pollinator heaven.
The program begins at 9:00 and will run until approximately 12:30, with breaks between sessions to allow time to shop. Come on out to the Ag Center in Carrollton at 900 Newnan Road to visit with some old friends, make some new ones, and get yourself ready for the upcoming planting season with native plants to delight your wildlife. While there is no charge for admission, a donation to enable us to continue with our educational programs is appreciated.