If you set a resolution for the new year, it may have involved a personal “glow up”—a positive transformation of self. You may be focused on eating healthier, getting fit, or quitting a bad habit. But have you considered a glow up for your garden? Our gardens may not be at the forefront of our minds during the winter months, but now is the time to start planning any additions or upgrades. Some gardening goals may include attracting wildlife, using sustainable gardening practices, and planting more native plants.
Native plants are beneficial to our local wildlife as they provide food and shelter for birds, bees, and other creatures. Some wildlife is completely dependent on specific host plants for their survival. A well-known example is monarchs and milkweed. Monarch caterpillars eat exclusively milkweed, so no milkweed would mean no more monarchs. There are several varieties of milkweed native to our area that you can choose to plant in your garden to help these iconic insects thrive.
Native plants are also beneficial to you, the gardener, because they are relatively low maintenance. Since they occur naturally in our region, they are adapted to living in this climate. Therefore, you can spend less time fussing over tending to the plants and just let nature nurture. If sustainable gardening is your goal, native plants can help to save water and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers.
Folks may be drawn to certain non-native plants due to their flashy appearance, but there is plenty of beauty to be found in natives. Natives like Virginia bluebells and eastern columbine provide a welcome pop of color in the spring, both with distinctively shaped flowers. Bright red cardinal flower is a favorite of ruby-throated hummingbirds buzzing through the garden during the summer. And goldenrod dripping with clusters of yellow flowers is an important nectar source for wildlife in the fall. Your garden can be both beautiful to the human eye and a refuge for wildlife. If the thought of a native plant garden intrigues you, but you don’t know where to begin, there are resources available to you.
New Jersey Audubon (NJA) is offering a Garden for Wildlife Webinar Series this spring which is open to gardeners of all levels of experience. Webinar sessions will take place on Tuesday evenings at 7pm, from March 4th through April 15th. NJA staff will present on various topics including invasive plant management, gardening on a budget, and culinary/medicinal uses of native plants. Following each session, there will be an open discussion between presenters and participants where you can ask questions specific to your own gardening ventures. You can register for the webinar series through Eventbrite or by visiting njaudubon.org.
Additionally, be sure to mark your calendars for the Nature Center of Cape May’s annual Native Plant Sale which will be held on Saturday, May 3rd from 10am to 4pm. There will be a selection of approximately 50 species to choose from, available on a first come first served basis. There will also be an option to make an online pre-order from a selection of “top ten” native plants, which can be picked up the day before the plant sale.
Whether or not you’ve stuck to your personal resolutions, consider giving your garden a glow up this spring. Sit back, relax, and watch the wildlife flourish.
The Nature Center of Cape May is located at 1600 Delaware Ave. Please call (609) 400-3858 with any questions regarding the Native Plant Sale or Garden for Wildlife Webinar Series.
