Embedded Files
It can be daunting to get started on a new garden, but there are some basic landscaping principles and examples gardens which can guide and inspire you.
Basic Design Tips
Basic Design Tips
Plant groups of the same plant species. Odd numbers of plants look best.
Plant shorter plants in a visible pattern to create a more “tidy” appearance.
Include grasses and shrubs to add structure or provide a backdrop to flowering plants.
Place large stones strategically between the plantings, define borders, and create pathways to emphasize the look of a “designed” garden.
Workload and Timeline
Workload and Timeline
While native landscapes require less maintenance than non-native landscapes, they are not “maintenance-free”. It can also take 1-4 years to attain an established planting, depending on whether you start with transplants or seeds, established lawn or bare ground. See Grow Native’s Native Landscape Care Calendar for a detailed list of what to do when. Also see Grow Native’s Native Garden Overview and one-page care calendar.
Map of Native Plant Demonstration Gardens
Map of Native Plant Demonstration Gardens
There many local examples of native plant gardens and landscapes open to the public for your to visit and take inspiration from. Below is a map of these gardens created by Erin Goss for Partners for Native Landscaping.
Some of our favorites:
Shaw Nature Reserve’s Whitmire Wildflower Garden (Franklin County)
Brightside's St. Louis Demonstration Garden (South City)
MDC's Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center (Kirkwood)
St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour
St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour
Each year, Bring Conservation Home teams up with St. Louis Wild Ones to present a tour of private native plant gardens in a different part of the St. Louis metro area. Keep an eye out for announcements from St. Louis Audubon or check the Bring Conservation Home events section for updates on the next tour.
Other Resources
Other Resources
Public demonstration "Gardens of Excellence" from Grow Native
Sample garden plans from Grow Native
Native Plants for Your Landscape guide from MDC Sample designs start on page 3.
Page updated
Report abuse