Are you thinking about converting lawn into a native garden? Now is a great time to start planning before spring plant sales begin.
Native wildflowers and grasses can provide year-round color and texture. They’re adapted to Missouri’s soils and climate, and once established, maintenance can be more minimal than for non-native plants. Plus, natives better serve songbirds, pollinating insects, and wildlife.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer a free virtual DIY Native Landscape Design class from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 25.
This online course will help gardeners make choices about what species to plant and how to design their placement for a successful garden.
Thoughtful species choices can also provide a series of wildflower blooms from spring into autumn. Native prairie grasses provide backdrops in summer, golden-red color in autumn, and interesting patterns in winter.
Late winter is a good time to prepare for spring planting. Cydney Ross, MDC native landscape specialist, will provide suggestions and talk about how selecting the right plants and designing with intent can help a gardener achieve the colors and patterns they seek.
A backdrop for the class will be the extensive native plant garden at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City, where Ross is based. That garden showcases how natives can be used in landscape designs.
To register, visit mdc.mo.gov.
Will this be recorded so that those of us who can’t attend virtually can view it later on?
Sarah, if you register for the event, you will receive a recording of the event.