Native plants are perfect for our desert climate. Once established they require little to no additional water, no pesticides or fertilizer, and they attract pollinating insects and wild birds. In addition, they decrease fire hazards, which is extremely important for the safety of our residents! Just be careful the native plants you choose are safe for all your animal friends (e.g., lupine is not farm animal safe).
Fire hazard to a native plant garden
When we moved to this property in the summer of 2020, we contacted the Heritage Garden of the Columbia Basin (https://www.hgcd.info) to help us plan to convert a dry area full of unwanted plants, such as cheatgrass, into a native plant garden. This conversion was of particular interest to us as the dried grasses are a high fire hazard, which is not safe to have near or around animals.
After talking about our needs and plans for the property, we followed the guidance provided by the Heritage Garden and utilized a solarization method to prevent unwanted plants and seeds from growing in the space. We cleared existing plants from the area, added plastic for 2 months mid-summer then added our first set of native plants in the fall of 2021.
We are certified!
Every year, we have expanded the garden. This past year, the native plants have started to self-seed, further adding to the number of native plants. To date, we have approximately 80 native plants in approximately 1500 square feet.
In May of 2024, we were certified by the Benton Conservation District as a certified Heritage Garden.
