Going native: to each its place

I am not among the people who say that we should grow only native species in our gardens. I think it is extreme and unrealistic. Not all native species are easy to grow and adaptable to garden cultivation. You have to study them first in their wild habitats, understand their needs and determine if these needs can be met in a garden situation. There are many factors involved.

But it is true that everyone can accommodate quite a few of them, and not just because they are hardy and good for pollinators (so are many others), but mainly because they adapt wonderfully in so called ‘difficult locations’ which resemble their native habitat.

To cut a long story short, I was facing a steep slope underneath an old spruce; the soil, or what was left of it, wouldn’t allow digging decent planting holes. The area gets sun in the spring and it becomes more shaded in the summer.
Trying to establish native species on it made sense; entirely. And starting with young plants grown from seeds also made sense: they establish much easier.

This is one part of the area right now: Asarum canadense and Maianthemum stellatum are 3 years old. There are various few smaller seedlings which don’t show and few young Trilliums.  With the backbones in place, I will also directly sow other seeds in late fall; particularly Thalictrum dioicum for its fine texture.

Lower down, a small patch with Anemone quinquefolia, Hepatica americana – more to be added.

On the reverse side, there is another small area where water pools temporarily due to a terrain depression and clayish subsoil. I’ve tried a few things which never performed well. Then I switched to Primula mistassinica, Viola nephrophyla, Sisyrinchium montanum, Parnassia, and all is well (the area still ‘under construction’, Viola nephrophylla in the featured image).

It all makes sense.