Natural Gardens…
Our variety of climate zones and soils are the two most important reasons our county has the 2nd most diverse natural plant assemblages in the state of California and is one of the great biological hotspots in the world. There are over 1400 native plants that occur in the County, with 20 known to occur only in the County and nowhere else on Earth, and about 125 are considered endangered or threatened to some degree. We should cherish our rare plants and rare plant habitats – they represent thousands of years of evolution and adaptation to this place we now call Sonoma Co. It is a very satisfying type of horticulture to work with rare species.
We use the word “native” to refer to plants occurring in the area – county, region or state – before Europeans arrived, more or less about 300 years ago. This is different from “drought-tolerant” which refers to any plant that can deal with prolonged drought and continue to survive. There are many degrees of drought-tolerance, so the term is subjective. Our Planet Horticulture style of landscaping works at blending climate, habitat appropriate plants from around the world in a heightened naturalistic look. We utilize microhabitats of the site to enhance the diversity and individuality of the plantings. We also love to show people their native landscapes, create trails and access and appreciation for these natural gardens.
Even if there are only widespread native species on your property, working with nature to create a wild garden – rather than wholesale transformation to other plant types – is a beautiful way to connect more in-depth with the natural world. The needs of our lives can often be artfully blended with natural landscapes while taking care of issues like fire safety, vegetation management and so forth.
It may surprise you that even in profoundly altered suburban neighborhoods, some native plants are part of the landscape, often unintentionally. Supplementing or creating native gardens to favor low water, pollinator-friendly, species diverse landscapes - perhaps preferring local rare species available in the nursery trade - can be a very rewarding focus of landscaping that reconnects us with nature. These types of gardens provide habitat for birds, butterflies, and the hundreds of native pollinators (and honey bees) over a long season. In addition to being naturally beautiful.
Happy Gardening!
by Roger Raiche David McCrory, Planet Horticulture