By Janine Donahue, Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties
My journey into learning about native plants began about 6 years ago when I decided to add native plants to one of the Master Gardener projects. As I looked at a list of native wildflowers, I realized I did not know what most of them looked like or their characteristics. Through the years I have added native plants to our home garden and to Master Gardener project sites and have found it fun and exciting to learn about a whole new group of plants that you will not find at the local ‘big box’ stores. I have purchased plants at the Wild Ones plant sales, AB Hatchery in Bloomington, Prairie Moon Nursery and Pleasant Prairie Nursery. I have enjoyed learning how to winter sow native seeds in milk jugs and have obtained seeds from seed swaps, purchased seeds from Prairie Moon and collected seeds. I enjoy trying to grow multiple new species each year.
Similar to other Conservation@Home members, I was very inspired by the writings and presentations of Doug Tallamy. I found his message of involving everyone to create at least a small habitat for wildlife to be an empowering message to help not only us, but our future generations. In the summer of 2023, over a hundred monarchs stayed on our property overnight on their migration path to Mexico. I realized that I had planted multiple wildflowers for fall forage and that our property gave them fuel and habitat to continue their journey the next morning. For me that was a turning point in wanting to create more and more habitat not only for monarchs but other beneficial insects and creatures.
Initially we just added native plants to our existing flower beds. In the spring of 2024, we created our largest native flower bed. My husband painstakingly dug up the turf in the fall and we began filling the bed in the spring. We covered the open areas with cardboard and wood chips from ash trees we had lost. This garden bed is now in its second year and is looking fabulous. I have seen at least six different types of butterflies visit our yard and countless bumble and native bees. Today I watched a hummingbird gather nectar from the red flower of the Royal Catchfly plants.
This spring I added multiple new wildflowers and this summer I am adding more native bushes and a native tree. As previous plantings die off (we lost a Japanese maple that a landscaper had planted in 1999), we are filling the spaces with native plants. We are adding a rain barrel and will continue our compost pile and vermicompost bin. I have enjoyed reading books by Robin Wall Kimmerer this spring and am now reading A New Garden Ethic by Benjamin Vogt which has provided a lot of food for thought.
