Welcome to Local Hippie’s weekly tip for living a greener life! Each week we will provide you with a quick tip to help you reduce your carbon footprint and change the world.
Get your bug suits on and your shovels ready – this week we’re talking about planting native species in your gardens!
Many of the popular plants in today’s gardens are imported from other parts of the world, which isn’t always beneficial for our ecosystem. Native plants are plants that have developed and occur naturally in our geological area. Some examples of native plants in our area include: Bloodroot, White Yarrow, Lupine, Marsh Marigold, Goldenrod, and Asters.
So why plant native species in your garden? Here are a few reasons:
1. They are important for supporting the needs of local wildlife. An example of this would be the monarch butterfly, which is entirely dependent on milkweed for food. If we plant milkweed in our gardens as opposed to a foreign species, we can better support this population and its growth.
2. They often require less care! Being indigenous to our land, they are typically better adapted to our soil and climate.
3. Having native plants in your garden, especially those that are endangered, can assist with their repopulation in the wild. When the plants in your garden reach the end of their cycle, their seeds will be spread by wind, water, and wildlife!
4. They pose less risk of introducing invasive species that will harm our local ecosystem.
Have questions or comments? Feel free to forward them to jaymie@localhippie.net
Have a happy hippie week!
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