Master Gardener – Search
Searching: natives
If you don't see the answer you're looking for, try submitting your question.
Selecting grass for lawn
-
Date Posted: Fri, Jan 31 - 3:46 pm
- Hello Richmond Master Gardeners, I would love your expertise on what type of grass I should plant in my backyard, which is almost entirely bare. I live in the Chamberlayne Farms neighborhood in Northern Henrico, and our soil is very soft. Our lot backs up to woods, and the back of our house faces north east, so we get very little sunlight back there. Thanks, Sam Prescott
- Thanks for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners for help with your yard. For lawns in our region, tall fescue is the best choice. Southern States offers a blend specifically formulated for shady areas, which may be a great option for you. We also highly recommend getting a soil test to better understand what your lawn needs to thrive. Soil test kits are available at many Richmond Public Library branches, and you can also check with the Henrico Master Gardeners for locations in your area. A soil test will provide valuable insights into any necessary amendments, such as adding lime or applying a starter fertilizer with the right balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For best results, fertilize just before seeding. When it comes to timing, fall is the best season for planting cool-season grasses like tall fescue. Once you've spread the seed, be sure to keep the soil consistently moist with light watering every day until germination, which typically takes about two weeks. For more detailed guidance, the Piedmont Master Gardeners have a fantastic article on growing turfgrass in central Virginia. You can check it out here: https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/22408-2/. If you need help selecting products, Southern States has knowledgeable associates who can assist you in choosing the right seed and fertilizers for your yard. If you're open to alternatives beyond grass, you might consider a woodland garden or a shade-friendly native plant landscape. These options can provide beauty, ecological benefits, and reduced maintenance compared to traditional lawns. There are many possibilities, from native ground covers to ferns, wildflowers, and understory shrubs. You can explore options in the Virginia Native Plant Society's regional native plant guide (https://vnps.org/virginia-native-plant-guides/), which provides recommendations suited to our local conditions. Henrico might also have Master Gardeners willing to come out for a home consult if this is an option you are interested in pursuing! Happy planting, and let us know if you have any other questions!
Question
Answer
Starting a garden in city medians
-
Date Posted: Sun, Jan 12 - 5:53 pm
- I want to start a median garden in my neighborhood. How can I get started with the city to make sure they don't mow it down and what I plant is safe for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians?
- This is a great question! We love to see the city getting greened up and love your enthusiasm to contribute. It will be important to get the city on board, as we definitely know people that have seen their hard work get mowed down by city landscaping. We recommend that you start by reaching out to your city council member. If you don't already know who yours is, or have their contact information, you can find that on this website: https://www.rva.gov/richmond-city-council/council-contacts As far as what to plant, we would be happy to consult with you on a more specific plant list for the space you have in mind, but to get started you could reference this website: https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/plant-rva-natives for Virginia natives. I'll follow up with you via e-mail incase we can be of more help to you as you pursue this idea! Thanks for reaching out.
Question
Answer
Native landscaping
-
Date Posted: Fri, Dec 06 - 4:13 pm
- Hello! I'm interested in making my property more sustainable by adding wildflower meadows and native plantings to support the wildlife. I am located in Manakin Sabot. If there are any book resources or other websites you would recommend I would greatly appreciate it. I am an architect by training and have considered getting more of an education in landscape design and horticulture to help make the biggest impact on our community through my projects, both at home and for others. Thanks so much!
- Hello! We love your passion for bringing more wildflowers and natives to your yard. A few resources for you to look into: Homegrown National Park: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/ and any books by Doug Tallamy. There is a guide for Native Virginia plants that you can reference: https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/plant-rva-natives. Lewis Ginter often offers classes about landscaping and natives and they currently have some spring classes available for sign up on their website. Moulton Hot Natives is also a very knowledgeable resource and a great place to get plants and seeds: https://moultonhotnatives.square.site/ Whenever you are in the city, I suggest driving by Amelia Street School. Behind the school are several different beautiful native beds that may give you some inspiration! I hope these resources will help get you started and you will have fun and learn a lot along the way!
Question
Answer
Invasive Plant Removal
-
Date Posted: Thu, Jul 18 - 2:00 am
- Are there any volunteer groups or does Richmond City help get rid of Japanese Knotwood, Chinese privet and tree of Heaven. There is a lot of all three on the property adjoining mine.
- This is a great question! Removing invasive plants around the city is increasingly becoming a priority for many and its great to see! So many Richmond neighbors are helping to decrease invasives and bring more natives back to our area. The primary group that I am aware of that is currently tackling this work is the Invasive Plant Task Force that is connected with the James River Parks Systems. Their website is: https://jrpsinvasiveplants.org/ If the property you are concerned about is near the river they may be able to help. And they may also have other connections and contacts that they could provide to you. Thanks for reaching out - good luck! This is hard but good work!
Question
Answer
Planting sapling redbuds
-
Date Posted: Thu, May 30 - 5:26 pm
- I have two sapling eastern redbuds. I have grown them from seed. Looking to plant them in my yard, what is the proper exposure and best time of year for them to thrive in the ground? Also how far apart should they be planted?
- How exciting! Redbuds are so beautiful, and what an accomplishment to grow them from seed. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when planting sapling redbuds- First, it is best to plant them on the smaller side as they don't enjoy being transplanted due to their long taproot. Second, the best time of year to plant many natives, including eastern redbuds, is the early fall after the heat of summer has passed. This allows the plant time to get established before winter and sets it up to really thrive the following year! An exception to this, is if you are planting in a space that closely mimics the redbud's natural environment. They are happiest with partial shade and in moist, well-drained soil. Whether you decide to plant now or early fall, keep them well mulched and watered as they for at least the first year as they get established. They should be planted at least 12 feet apart from each other to allow space for both to grow. Good luck and happy gardening!
Question
Answer
English Ivy control & replacement
-
Date Posted: Thu, Feb 08 - 2:21 am
- Hi there! I have a bunch of English Ivy in my sunny, south facing backyard in the neighborhood behind Pony Pasture. I'm interested in replacing it with a Native Species but want to make sure that I am replacing it with the right species for the space. It is on a downward slope towards the house-so I'm not sure if it is providing necessary runoff to protect the house. Do you have any recommendations for what species to use and any tips on how to work on replacing it? Thank you so much! Katie
- Katie, I'm sorry! English Ivy drives me crazy. I spent the first year in my current house attacking the ivy in my back yard. My best recommendation for removal is to pull it by hand after some rain when the ground is moist. It will come up a little bit easier that way. And just attack it in sections. Its better to be thorough and take a little longer than to rush through if you really want the chance to keep it away. After that first year, I've just done a little bit of maintenance each spring to pull out any that starts to grow, mostly because it creeps back in from my neighbors yard. The Virginia Native Plant society has a great document with several options for English Ivy replacement that can be found here: https://choosenatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Alternatives-to-English-Ivy.pdf Good luck and happy gardening!
Question
Answer
Natives & Landscaping
-
Date Posted: Mon, May 29 - 5:34 pm
- I have a wonderfully overgrown, half-wild backyard in the Northside that already attracts a great variety of birds ... but I'd like to start being more purposeful about planting natives and landscaping for birds and bugs. I'm having a hard time figuring out where to start, though, and am hoping a Master Gardener could help. Is there someone who could come look at my site and help me come up with a plan?
- Hello! How lovely to have a backyard that is already attracting a great variety of birds! It's wonderful that you want to provide more native plants for your backyard pollinators! A good place to start is by doing a soil test to see how healthy your soil currently is and if there is anything you should add to it before you begin planting. You can find soil test kits at your local libraries when the master gardeners are there, just call and ask your librarian. Next, you will want to think about how wet or dry your back yard typically is, as well as how much sun light you get. You could bring this information along with some pictures to talk with the master gardener at your library or to a local nursery for more guidance. I would also recommend looking over this really wonderful resource on native plants for our area https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/plant-rva-natives as the free downloadable guide has an amazing amount of information to help get you going in the right direction! Happy gardening!
Question
Answer
Lawn alternatives
-
Date Posted: Wed, May 03 - 4:23 pm
- I want to find an easier alternative ground cover to grass that is native to Virginia. I was thinking clover, but I worry because in some cases it can be more invasive. Any low maintenance ground cover plants that help improve the soil would be welcome!
- Hello there, Of course, plant selection depends on many things, exposure (north, south, east, west and combinations of those), soil type and structure, hours of direct sun, etc. I'm guessing since you have a grass lawn you are getting a good amount of sunlight. There are really no plants that are low maintenance before they become established. I've had good luck with white clover though I use it in relatively small areas and I don't have a problem with it wanting to take over the garden. If you have a large area you might want to get more creative and use a variety of plants as your ground cover (which the birds and insects will appreciate). There are a couple of native violets you could use, also phlox subulata which is evergreen and mat forming. I'm attaching a link to a website that has good information on what native plants can function as ground cover locally. Here it is- https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/reduce-lawn-area-with-native-groundcovers. I think you'll find some nice options there. Happy gardening!
Question
Answer
Container Gardens
-
Date Posted: Sun, Apr 02 - 9:53 pm
- Thank you so much for doing this! I have two questions. First, do you have any advice on what native plants grow well and look nice in containers? I'm hoping to make my small patio/balcony (full sun) as pollinator and bird-friendly as possible. Second, I'd like to include some milkweeds to attract monarchs. I have a small patch of mulched ground (16x20 inches) against a fence. Would swamp milkweed grow well there and/or in containers?
- Hello there, Glad to be of service! I like your native container garden idea. If you want to attract birds, growing berries will make them happy. Blueberries do well in containers and they're beautiful year round plants. Be sure to plant at least 3 different varieties that bloom around the same time. Cross pollination improves the yield; and you need plants that are blooming at the same time to achieve that. The rabbiteye and the southern high bush should work well for you. Some varieties of southern high bush are: Golf Coast, Misty and Ozarkblue. Varieties of rabbiteye are: Powderblue, Brightwell, and Pink Lemonade. You'll need a good size container, maybe 18-20 inches deep and wide and a good acidic soil mix. Blueberries require an acidic soil. In addition to the blueberries, strawberries also do well in containers. You can seek out the native virginia strawberry. They are pretty easy to care for assuming you can give them all day sun. I like your idea of using the swamp milkweed. It's such a beautiful plant, has fragrance and attracts a wide variety of visitors. You could also use that plant in a container; just be sure the soil is moist. The orange butterfly weed is also quite pretty and attractive to pollinators. There is a publication you can download here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58e25c41e6f2e17ea4cb7766/t/5ed00bfcb208c2251311ebc6/1590692887078/Native+Plants+for+Virginia%27s+Capital+Region+Guide+for+download.pdf. It gives many examples of native plants from trees to perennials. It's a very useful brochure. The website- plantvirginianatives. org has a wealth of information I think you will find useful. Good luck with this project. Happy gardening!
Question
Answer
Native plants
-
Date Posted: Thu, Sep 15 - 9:44 pm
- I have an east-facing front yard in the Museum District and have approximately 12X 6 feet of space to work with. We recently got a retaining wall put in, and so it is a fresh canvas. The space gets full sun at least half the day. I love native plants, and particularly those that would remain evergreen in the winter. Any suggestions?
- Hello there, so nice to start fresh! I'm glad to hear you are interested in using native plants. I'm assuming the space is 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep. You'll probably want to start by creating some structure with shrubs. For evergreen green shrubs you could use inkberry (ilex glabra). There are many varieties of this plant, some have a loose form whiele others have a tighter globe shape and there are large and smaller sizes as well. So there's an inkberry to fit most spaces and styles. Mountain laurel is also another lovely evergreen plant with beautiful blooms in spring. Dog hobble or more commonly just Leucothoe (axillaris) is another nice evergreen. There is a variegated variety if you want to brighten up a space. You may also want to try evergreen bayberry (morella caroliniensis). In addition to these evergreens, there is virginia sweetspire (itea virginica) which has a nice drape to its shape, panicles of white flowers and beautiful fall color. Another good shrub is pepperbush (clethra alnifolia) with white to pink flowers (depending on variety) which is wonderfully fragrant. There is a smaller-sized variety that would fit in most gardens. Many of the plants in the blueberry family - early lowbush and deerberry (vaccinum pallida+vaccinum stamineum) have gorgeous fall color and colored bare stems in winter. Their spring flowers are delicate and beautiful and their fruits add to their appeal. I know you have a small space but I wanted to give a good number of options so you can pick and choose. Once you have a plan, you can decide what you want to place where. After placing the shrubs, you can then think about adding some lovely native ferns, perennials and/or ground cover, whatever space will allow. Before deciding on plants and placement, you should have a soil test done if you haven't already. You can amend if necessary and as an annual ritual, add compost to nourish you plantings. You can get a soil test kit at your local library when the Master Gardener Help Desk is in operation. Call your local library to find out the day and time. For additional information I suggest checking out this website and using the plant guides for the Capital region and NOVA-- https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/plant-rva-natives. Best of luck with the new garden!