Gardening with Native Plants - Container Gardening

1. Container
Gardenin
g with
Native
Plants
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

2. What exactly is a Native Plant?
• Native Plants are the species that occur
naturally in a given area.
• Native Plants include ferns, grasses, water
and marsh plants, herbaceous
perennials, shrubs, trees and vines.
• There are so many
choices!
They come in many
colors,
shapes and sizes.
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

3. Why Containers?
• Physical limitations
– Low maintenance
– Easy access
• Landscape limitations
•Propagation
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Coreopsis (lanceolata)
-You can separate some of your
perennials annually and gift or plant
in your landscape.
•Recycle
-Great way to reuse many household
items

4. Containers 101
• Plan your container
• Determine light and moisture
requirements
• Select type of container
•Mix soil and any soil
amendments needed
according to VTE
recommendations
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)

5. Little Bluestem
(Schizachyrium scoparium)
•About
• Small, non-spreading grass with blue-green leaves that
turn reddish orange in the fall
•Fluffy silver seed heads are ornamental through winter
•Grows to 2’-3’ X 1’
•Full Sun
•Well drained, dry soil
•Benefits
•Deer resistant
•Drought tolerant
•Attracts butterflies and birds
•Uses
•Dried flowers
•Cut flowers
•Rock gardens
•Bonsai
•Companions
•Butterfly Milkweed
•Pale purple coneflower
•Stiff Goldenrod

6. Woodland Phlox
(Phlox paniculata)
•About
•Partial to Full Shade
• Average Size 6”-1.5’
•Average to moist soil
• Prefers Organically rich soil
•Benefits
•Attracts Hummingbirds and Butterflies
•Beautiful Spring Flowers
•Companion Plants
•Virginia Bluebells
•Christmas Fern
•Goat’s Beard

7. Madienhair Fern
(Adiantum pedatum)
•About
•Full Shade/Deep Shade
•Moderate Moisture
•Organically rich soil
•Deciduous
• Height 18”-2’
•Facts •Can be divided in Autumn or Winter
•Maidenhair fern is the source of a pleasantly
aromatic volatile oil long used as a rinse or
shampoo that rendered black hair very
shiny, hence the name Maidenhair.
•The tough, water-repellant, shiny black
stems were used by Native American
peoples in basket weaving.

8. Where Can I Purchase
Native Plants Locally?
Colonial Nursery – Williamsburg
Sassafras Farm – Gloucester
Cooke’s Garden – Williamsburg
Let it Grow – Williamsburg
Homestead Garden Center – Toano
2011 Native Plant Sales
John Clayton Chapter/Native Plant Society 4-30-11
Virginia Living Museum 4-16 & 4-17 & 4-23-11

9. Where Can I See Native Plants?
• VIMS Teaching Marsh
• Williamsburg Botanical Garden
• Melissa’s Meadow at William & Mary
• Stonehouse Elementary School
• W&M Wildflower Refuge
• Virginia Living Museum
• New Quarter Park
• Norfolk Botanical Garden
• Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
• JCC Human Services (Master Gardener Project)

10. Websites of Note
• www.wildflower.org
•Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center site has excellent
articles on gardening with natives, including guidelines
for container gardening
•www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/
•Web and PDF versions of handbook, Native Plants for
Wildlife Habitat and Conservation
Landscaping, Chesapeake Bay Watershed, now out of
print.
•www.claytonvnps.org
•John Clayton Chapter, Virginia Native Plant
Society, extensive plant lists by county, excellent photo
gallery.
•www.dgif.virginia.gov/habitat
•Extensive how-to information for environmental
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia heliopsidis) stewardship for homeowners, schools and businesses.
•www.floraofvirginia.org
•Comprehensive research project publishing 2012 will
describe more than 3,500 native plants with photos and
illustrations.

11. Great Resources for Native Plant
Information
The Essential Guide Virginia
Just updated with Habitat
FAQ’s and a Partnership
regional plant list. State
Certification
National Wildlife John Clayton
Federation Chapter
140,000+ registered VNPS- Local
habitats Experts

12. Why use Native Plants?
• Want to do less watering? Native plants are survivors
and adapt to whatever is happening in their
environment.
• Feel concerned about excess nitrogen causing algae
blooms in the Chesapeake Bay? Natives don’t require
fertilizer.
• Native Plants provide familiar sources of food and
shelter for wildlife.
• On a broader ecological scale, planting native species
contributes to the overall health of natural communities.