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As the frost retreats and the first whispers of spring emerge, we at SRA encourage you to embrace a simple yet impactful practice: letting your yard remain fallow until spring, and planting native plants. By allowing nature to take its course, you’re not just preserving a patch of green; you’re creating a haven for biodiversity. Here’s why it matters:
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Wild and Messy: Forget the pristine lawns! In a biodiverse garden, a touch of wildness is a gift to the myriad species of plants, animals and insects with whom we can share our land. If you need some grass to get out and throw a football or turn cartwheels, that’s fine, but consider designating a corner to grow wild—let the grass turn to seed, the leaves pile up, and the twigs scatter. This untamed area becomes a buffet for insects, birds, and small mammals. Consider transforming a patch into a mini wildflower meadow—a blend of long grass and native wildflowers. Splashes of yellow goldenrod, purple coneflower, and black eyed-susans will beckon pollinating bees and butterflies, while providing shelter for other critters.
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Plant Diversity: Biodiversity thrives on variety. Opt for a rich tapestry of plant species—different shapes, colors, sizes, and fragrances. From spring to winter, ensure a continuous feast for wildlife by choosing plants that flower and fruit throughout the year. Pollinators, from buzzing bees to delicate butterflies, rely on these blooms for sustenance. And don’t forget the birds—they’ll appreciate the tasty treats from fruit-bearing plants.
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Fragrant Blooms: Flowers aren’t just a treat for our eyes; they’re aromatic havens for pollinators. Did you know that most butterflies and insects locate their food plants by smell? Plant fragrant flowers like sweet pepperbush, wild bergamot, and redbud trees. Don’t have the energy to plant? No problem–those dandelions are powerhouse pollinator plants too–just let them be. These plants will guide pollinators from garden to garden, ensuring seed production and a thriving ecosystem.
Apart from the benefits to biodiversity and wildlife, a yard rich with native plants means a cleaner and healthier Severn River. The roots of native plants go far deeper than turf grass and thus infiltrate stormwater more efficiently. Importantly, native plants don’t need fertilizers, so when it rains they contribute less nutrients to fuel algae blooms than exotic plants and grass do.
So as you peruse the offerings at your local nursery in the coming weeks, dispense with the showy high-maintenance flowers of yesteryear, and opt instead for native plants that are beautiful to behold, a boon to local fauna, and that deliver cleaner water for all of us–when it gets warm enough for a dip in the River you’ll be glad you did.
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