At Home with
Native Plants
Garden tour on Mother’s Day
BY KRISTA HARPER
W
Native Plant Nursery
Create new landscapes & gardens this spring with
our great selection of native plants
We offer design services & consulting
484-9206
By Appt.
83331 JACKSON MARLOW RD. • EUGENE
www.doakcreeknursery.com
BRUCE NEWHOUSE
hile some gardeners worry
about keeping their grass
green, others are working
to make their yards greener in an
entirely different sense – by purposefully
gardening with native plants.
Mieko Aoki, the chair of Eugene’s
Native Gardening Awareness Program
(NGAP), says that native plants
require less watering, fertilizer and
pesticides than non-native plants,
making them more environmentally
friendly. Non-native plants, some of
which were introduced for gardening,
require more care and can disrupt
the natural ecosystem. Some of these non-
native plants rapidly spread outside their
gardens, becoming invasive species that
endanger native plants by taking over what
would normally be the native plants’ terrain.
Gardening with native plants avoids these
issues.Though the benefi ts of gardening
with native plants are many, Aoki says, the
increase in local wildlife prompted by native
plant gardening is the main motivation for
most gardeners.
“There are certain relationships between
plants and insects that can’t be replicated,”
she says.
Aoki adds that native plants encourage
butterfl ies and other insects to settle, which
in turn provide food for native birds and
other local species (see the sidebar for a
list of native plants that attract butterfl ies).
Animals and insects that have struggled
for survival in traditional yards fl ourish in
yards fi lled with native plants, she says.
Intrigued? You’re in luck. On Mother’s
Day, May 10, NGAP is offering free tours
of 12 native plant gardens in Eugene –
eight private and four public. Participants
will have the opportunity to ask NGAP
volunteers questions about the animals
and plants on site and about the how-tos
of native plant gardening.The gardens on
the tour feature mixtures of local annuals
and perennials, shrubs and trees, Aoki
Doak Creek
says. Some of the yards are planted almost
entirely with native species, while others
demonstrate successful mixes of native
and non-native fl ora.
Some local plants popular in the
gardens include Oregon Sunshine, Red
Flowering Currant and Checker Mallow.
Hummingbirds, butterfl ies and other
wildlife may be visible as well.The private
gardens will be open between noon and
5 pm on May 10, and tours of all the
gardens will only be offered during those
hours. Visitors can tour as few or as many
gardens as they would like within that
time. Participants are encouraged to walk,
bike or carpool.
Interested gardeners can also check out
NGAP’s wildfl ower sale at Mt. Pisgah the
following weekend. Private gardens on
the tour: 2525 Potter St.; 2755 Potter St.;
270 E. 36th Ave; 875 W. 26th Ave.; 2261
Jefferson St.; 2160 Lawrence St.; 952 W.
4th Ave; 1491 W. 5th Ave.
Public gardens offering NGAP tours:
West University Park, 14th Ave. and
Hilyard St.; UO Natural and Cultural
History Museum, 1680 E. 15th Ave.;
Hendricks Park Native Plant Garden.
top of Summit Ave.; Butterfl y Garden at
Amazon Community Gardens. 28th Ave.
and High St. For more information, visit
www.emeraldnpso.org
ew
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Just Say No to the Butterfl y Bush
In the Nesting issue on March 26, I wrote that the butterfl y bush was a good
bush to attract butterfl ies. True, but it didn’t take too long for the corrections
to roll in. Kyle Spinks of the Tualatin Hills Parks and Rec Department (they read
the EW?) wrote to say that the butterfl y bush is on the Oregon State Noxious
Weed list. He added, “The primary reason is due to its ability to easily self-seed,
especially in disturbed soils, such as along streams and roadways.” Other plants
he suggested in its place:
Safer Products.
Safer for the Enviromnment
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) : Herb up to 7’ tall with numerous
pinkish-lavender fl owers per spike. Good in sunny sites, but may spread.
•
• Meadow sidalcea (Sidalcea campestris) : Herb up to 3’ tall with lavender
fl owers. Good in wetter meadows.
• Douglas spirea (Spiraea douglasii) : Shrub up to 7’ tall with dense pinkish
fl ower spikes. Good in wetter to moderately dry sites.
Orange/trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) : Vine with clusters of trumpet-
shaped fl owers. Not aggressive and likes shade. Does well on an arbor.
•
Mockorange (Philadelphus lewisii) : Shrub up to 10’ tall with single, large white
fl owers. Nice aroma and does well in partly shady upland sites.
2825 Willamette
342-5191
He also suggested contacting the Xerces Society in Portland for more info.
That nonprofi t’s website is www.xerces.org and you can contact them at 503-
232-6639. Thanks to Spinks and all who called! —Suzi Steff en
Mon-Sat: 8:30-5:30 | Sun: 10-5
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EUGENE WEEKLY APRIL 16, 2009 13