A patch of native ferns and Virginia bluebells herald Spring
Ah, Spring! It’s been a long, cold, snowy winter here in Connecticut and the arrival of the first day of Spring is a welcome event. Like many gardens in the area, mine is still weeks away from truly showing its spring colors but that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about how I can add some curb appeal to my garden.
For many, curb appeal means a new mailbox, a fresh coat of paint or maybe some new windows boxes to make your home more inviting and welcoming. But when you also look at curb appeal from the point of view of welcoming local wildlife, not only impressing your neighbors, using native plants to boost your landscape’s curb appeal is a good investment.
Creating Curb Appeal with Native Plants
Reduce your lawn
There are lots of reasons to reduce the size of your lawn and finally convert some of that ecological wasteland into a thriving ecosystem that will support an array of wildlife. And it’s easier than you might think to get started. You can widen existing walkways and planting beds, plant native groundcovers in areas where your grass always struggles or just embrace some of the ‘weeds’ and cultivate a pollinator-friendly lawn that looks and acts like turf grass but still offers food for pollinators.
Plant a Tree
Common dogwood © Richard Rosiello
Nothing perks up your garden more than a spring-flowering tree. Leave the Bradford pears and weeping cherries to your neighbors (or the local parking lots) and instead plant a native tree that will provide several different seasons of food for wildlife. An outstanding choice for gardeners living in the eastern half of the US is common dogwood (Cornus florida). In addition to all the lovely clouds of spring flowers, common dogwood berries, high in fat, are a key component of the fall diet of many migrating birds. For help finding a spring-blooming native tree for your garden, check out this list of North American Native Plant Societies.
Add color in Containers
Still waiting for a permanent home.
Containers are an easy way to create some colorful curb appeal. When it comes to choosing plants for your containers, think beyond annuals. Native plants are suited to container life, too. You can create a bird garden in pots. Or design an instant garden with a collection of containers or a movable garden with smaller containers that are easily transportable. I have a native Pagoda dogwood planted in a container and it gets moved to different areas of the garden each year. It’s so small right now it would get lost in the garden if it weren’t in a container and I can try out ideas for a permanent home before I start digging.
Mark Your Calendar
A trillium welcomes spring
One of my least favorite things about the arrival of Spring is that it reminds me I should have planted more spring-flowering bulbs last fall!
While nothing says spring and boosts curb appeal more than some colorful crocuses or bright yellow daffodils, there are also some native bulbs that can welcome wildlife into your garden. So mark your calendar now to place your bulb order in September so you’re not left thinking if only again next spring.
Happy Spring!
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