How to Use Native Plants
You can really spruce up your garden with the addition of native plants. Depending on where you live, you might be able to add flowers, shrubs and ground cover to your garden simply by looking in the wooded and grassy areas near your home. Using native plants is a great way to decorate your home and garden for free.
Things You Will Need:
- Box or container to transport plants
- Gardening trowel
- Look for some free native plants. Explore the property, as well as property along walking trails and the edges of farms or other developed property for some native plants that you can use in your garden. You might also consider looking along roadsides and near places where landscaping companies are working. Always ask permission before digging on property that does not belong to you.
- Use your trowel to dig the plants up from the roots. Place the plants into a box or designated container so that you can easily transport them back to the home.
- If you cannot find an adequate number of free native plants for the garden, visit a local plant nursery and purchase either seeds or live native plants to supplement the plants that you have found for free.
- Prepare the garden for new plants. You should try to replicate the natural conditions of the native plants. They are used to growing in the natural soil conditions that exist around your home, so do not spend time tilling or feeding your soil prior to planting the native plants. This could actually be detrimental to the health of the plants.
- Try to transplant the native plants into an area that provides a similar level of light as their original location. This will help the plants to adapt well to your garden. Plant shaded plants in shady areas and plant sunny plants in areas with full sun.