Gardening with Native Plants in Our Dear Part of the MidwestLike this list

Struggling to integrate native plants into your garden, or just starting to garden and hoping to create a pollinator-friendly, soil-enriching tiny prairie in your yard? Guidebooks like these can be great starting points. A simple process for selecting plants: 1. Flip through the photographs in these books and note down the plants you like. Maybe you like their color, the shape of their leaves, or the shapes they grow into -- make a list of whatever appeals to you! 2. Then, take note of the conditions in your garden. How is the quality of your soil? (You can do a soil test at your local Extension office to find out if your soil needs amending.) Is it compacted? Is it dry, or does it hold moisture? Does your garden get a lot of sun, or it it mostly shady? Based on your field observations, narrow down your list of plants accordingly! Sun-lovers will unfortunately not thrive in a shady spot, but hopefully you'll end up with a small list of plants likely to do well. 3. Take your list to a local nursery for help sourcing, planting, and caring for your new garden. The folks at your local nursery can likely answer the questions that these books generate, too!

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