Gardeners play a role in increasing biodiversity by mimicking in their simplified vestiges the ecosystems that created a vast interconnected rich source of life.

Eileen Stark, PNW landscape designer and author of Real Gardens Grow Natives, advocates for a layered garden that includes ground covers, herbaceous or perennials plants, small to tall shrubs and trees.

This layered garden “will shade out weed seedlings and minimize the soil nutrients they need, weakening their chances at prospering. When plants touch one another and overlap a bit, or in the case of ground covers, cling to the ground and spread, we mimic nature and lessen maintenance tasks” and create habitat for wildlife. If your garden includes a variety of native plants you will not need to worry about planting for dwindling pollinators according to Stark. 

Planning 

Joe Holtrop (district manager of Jefferson County Conservation District) recommends home gardeners create a simple sketch of a potential garden landscape that includes information on buildings, septic drain fields, drainage, soil type and moisture, existing vegetation, hardscapes (i.e. patios/walks), predominant wind direction and sunny and shady areas. That schematic will help you to designate areas that might be enhanced by native plants such as already existing woodland, wetland or border spaces or new development of native plant communities on home or street side borders.  

A home gardener needs to determine what they need from their landscape, how they spend time in their garden, what might make being outside more pleasant and what might you like to see from inside your home. Holtrop recommends that we consider the function the plant will provide (screening or framing views), habitat services and form provided (flowers, fruit, fall color, form) in your home garden. 

Plant selection

Holtrop advises gardeners to ask the following questions about plants: “does the plant grow in wet soil or or well drained soil; does it need sun or can it tolerate shade? and, what size is the plant at maturity” following the ‘right plant for right place’ mantra. This article focuses on herbaceous/perennials plants and groundcovers as trees/shrubs were outlined in previous Garden Notes columns, which ran on Dec. 18 and Feb. 26.

Extending a welcome mat for wildlife

The herbaceous and ground cover plants listed below will build the lower layers of your garden, with mature trees as the canopy and mature shrubs as the understory in the tapestry that is your garden. All of the plants will attract wildlife biodiversity. Eillen notes for example “western wallflower plants (drought tolerant) are a food source for Sara’s Orangetip butterfly (Anthrocharis sara). Additionally, nocturnal months and other butterflies [(painted lady (Vanessa cardui) and pale tiger swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)], use the plant for nectar.” Fairy bells attract many types of pollinators and their fruit is eaten by robins and towhees. Western bleeding heart provides nectar for hummingbirds, bumble bees and syrphid flies. 

Native plant information can be found through Jefferson County Conservation District or Eileen Stark’s blog: realgardensgrownatives, among many others. Ask a “Master Gardener” plant clinics will be held at the Charles Pink House at Port Townsend Library (first Tuesday of the month: 12:00 – 2:00; January to December) or at the Jefferson County Library (second Saturday of the month: 1-3 pm).    

Michele Koomen has been a volunteer for the Master Gardener Program since 2024, serving as a community educator in gardening and environmental stewardship