News

Transforming an old landscaping

by Rose S.

Many of the trees and shrubs in our yard were planted by my mother-in-law, who owned the home for over 50 years before my husband and I purchased the house and moved in. Other than these old trees and shrubs, a few of which were native, there wasn’t much else of interest on the property, so my husband and I got to work. We started by creating large garden beds around the existing trees and shrubs. When we moved in, we brought lots of specimens from our old home with us and transplanted them to our new “old” landscape. But there was still room for more plants!

As good stewards of the property, we applied the knowledge we gained about native plants by specifically choosing only native plants, adding those that provided flowering and seasonal interest to the garden. It’s been a 13-year process, and it continues to be a work in progress. But that’s what we love about gardening!

Takeaway – Start transforming an existing garden by adding native plants, then think about providing year-round benefits for pollination. Don’t be discouraged if the going is slow. Remember it’s a process!