Gardening with native plants, especially for Oregon gardeners, with tips on why we garden with natives, some garden examples and approaches, and recommended plants for various kinds of gardens.

1. Gardening with Native Plants Yesterday and Today Linda R McMahan OSU Extension, Yamhill County

2. Ask yourself: Why do we garden the way we do? A Pacific Northwest public garden

3. Where did our gardening traditions come from?

4. In caseyou had any doubts! Our gardening traditions in North America come primarily from England

5. The British gardening traditions are reflected almost everywhere we look

6. We copy what we remember and see What gardens do you remember from our childhood? What are your neighbors doing? Are you inspired by our friends’ gardens? What do public gardens, parks, and other designed landscapes look like?

7. But now. . . We are beginning to relate to gardening in an American style Native plant garden display at a Portland garden show

8. Plant explorers brought plants to Europe, leading to the Victorian Era (1837-1901-reign of Queen Victoria). Tropical plants were were grown in glass houses or used as “bedding plants” in a formal gardening style requiring high resource use. London’s Crystal palace and bedding plants. Photo: Wikipedia Photo: Neil Bell First, a view from yesteryear

9. Enter William Robinson, a Scottish gardener who reacted to Victorian “excess” by promoting “Wild Gardening” Robinson’s house and garden: Wikipedia

10. Wild gardening defined “Wild Gardening” says William Robinson, is not native plant gardening. Instead, it is “placing perfectly hardy plants in places they will take care of themselves. It has nothing to do with wilderness.” From English Flower Garden A Robinson design- Wikipedia

11. Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932), the founder of the modern border garden, was a colleague of William Robinson. She popularized the idea of the informal border in many publications and garden designs. Gertrude Jekyll and the emergence of the border garden

12. Very Early America Beginning in the 1700’s, growing fruit trees became very important. This interest followed settlers across the continent to the American west. Apples for food and cider, plums, and pears were particularly popular. Winslow Homer painting of grafting of fruit trees in 1870, Photo: Wikipedia

13. William Bartram With his father John, William studied and promoted certain native plants, including Frankliniaalatamaha. The Bartram’s were prominent exporters of native plants for European markets. (1739-1823) Photos: Wikipedia

14. Gradually, people began to incorporate native plants into their gardens First, native trees were substituted for European ones, then shrubs. Notable was the use of plants of Southeastern US origin such as magnolias and azaleas. Other early plants noted in the literature are native lilies, ferns, and western conifers. Magnolia virginiana, Photo: Wikipedia

15. Thomas Jefferson Experimented widely with southeast native plants, including osage orange as a hedge Sponsored Lewis and Clark Expedition (1743-1826) Photos: Wikipedia

16. David Douglas Visited the Pacific Northwest on behalf of the British Horticultural Society to look for new plants for European gardens. Collected Ribessanguineum which was, according to Penelope Hobhouse, “so important a find as to be itself worth the cost of the whole expedition” (1799-1834) Photo: Wikipedia

17. Liberty Hyde Bailey “Father of American Horticulture” Michigan Agricultural College, then Cornell University Creator of the first US horticultural dictionaries Botanist, plantsman, nature promoter Began tradition of nature study in NY schools, which were probably forerunners of native plant societies (1858-1954) Photo: Wikipedia

18. For many years, we have continued to follow European tradition—we merely planted native plants in place of standard plants in the European style. This is still reflected in most gardens incorporating native plants. A magnolia and Ribessanguineum

19. But today, public places are becoming more reflective of nature Oregon State University campus

20. Now our own gardens more often reflect nature as well Natural plant forms such as that of goldenrod Native wildlife including the banana slug

21. Many of us are inspired by nature – we copy what we see Lomatium (desert parsley) on an outcrop at Catherine Creek Preserve in the Columbia River Gorge

22. Even when using native plants, we give ourselves permission to be whimsical Pots feature native Sedum

23. We more often focus on the natural form of plants, and pair them with natural materials The Berry Botanic Garden, Portland, OR

24. Some gardenssuch as this one at the McMinnville OR public library, feature only native plants

25. We add native ground-covers to our gardens Vancouveriahexandra, inside-out flower

26. We sometimes use plants considered to be weeds for their garden or wildlife value Cow parsnip, Heracleumlanatum, featured in a butterfly garden at The Berry Botanic Garden, Portland, OR

27. To get conservation certification, many new buildings use native plants in the landscape Engineering Building, Oregon State University, featuring kinnickinnick, vine maple, and deer fern

28. So what is a native plant?Is this one? California fuchsia, Epilobium canum

30. Native to the exact site?

31. Native before the arrival of European explorers?

32. Found naturally in Oregon?

33. Is a foreign but naturalized plant OK?

35. Does gardening with native mean that is all you can grow? In the late 20th century and even today, twin styles of gardening with natives continue to evolve side by side Substituting natives for more traditional plants and the development of “garden-worthy” cultivars Gardening with native plants for their own sake in naturalistic landscapes VS Photos: left azalea and sword fern (Polystichummunitum); right coltsfoot (Petasitesfrigidus)

36. Practical gardening with natives Reflect your personal style Pick plants that work for you Pick plants that excel in your area Look at their value for aesthetics, color, form, wildlife support, edible landscaping Avoid exotic invasive plants or those that might be a problem in your own garden

37. Some examples of approaches A formal approach of Lisa Albert, a native plant gardener and lecturer in the Portland area Selected plants featured: wild bleeding heart (Dicentraformosa); western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale)

38. Some examples of approaches A B&B in the Cascades using local native plants Selected plants pictured: wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana); sword fern (Polystichummunitum)

39. Some examples of approaches City of Corvallis waterfront park—tough plants and easy maintenance Selected plants: Oregon iris (Iris tenax) and blue fescue

40. Plants to consider: woodland classics Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), osoberry (Oemleriacerasiformis), vine maple (Acer circinatum), sword fern (Polystichummunitum), wild rose (Rosa gymnocarpa), blue elderberry (Sambucusmexicana), wild bleeding heart (Dicentraformosa)

41. Plants to consider: groundcovers Kinnickinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), spoon leaf sedum (Sedum spathulifolium), false lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemumdilitatum), wood sorrel (Oxalis oreganavar. smallii), waterleaf (Hydrophyllumcapitatum)

42. Plants to consider: more groundcovers Sword fern (Poloystichummunitum), stream violet (Viola glabella); long-leaf Oregon grape (Berberis nervosa), inside-out-flower (Vancouveriahexandra)

43. Plants to consider: streamside garden Ninebark (Physocarpuscapitatus), Corydalis (Corydalis scouleri), umbrella plant (Peltophyllumpeltatum), red osier dogwood (Cornussericea), coltsfoot (Petasitesfrigidus)

44. Plants to consider – more streamside Skunk cabbage (Lysichitumamericanum), red elderberry (Sambucusracemosa), and twinberry (Lonicera involucrata)

45. Plants to consider: shrubs for a sunny border Golden currant (Ribes aureum), mytle (Myricacalifornica), western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale), ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor), western rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum), silk tassel (Garrya elliptica)

46. Plants to consider: sunny border Western goldenrod (Solidagocanadensis), camas (Camassia sp.), western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), fireweed (Epilobiumangustifolium), balsam root (Balsomorhizasagittata), globe gilia (Giliacapitata)

47. Plants to consider: more sunny border Checker mallow (Sidalceacampestris), coast penstemon (Penstemon serrulatus), Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllumlanatum), scarlet monkeyflower (Mimuluscardinalis), Oregon iris (Iris tenax)

48. Plants to consider: rock garden Sedums (S. spathulifolium, oreganum), Lomatium sp., pussytoes (Antennariasp.), CA fuschia (Epilobiumcanum), wild buckwheat (Eriogonum sp.), scarlet gilia (Giliaaggregata), Penstemon sp., sea thrift (Armeriamaritima)

49. Plants to consider: wildlife Tall Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium),wild strawberry (Fragaria sp.), western mock orange (Philadelphuslewisii), violets (Viola adunca), snowberry (Symphoricarpus alba), red flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

50. Plants to consider: small spaces Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana), Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’, sedums

51. For More Information! Kruckeberg, Arthur R. 1966. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd edition, University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA Yamhill County, OSU Extension Ecogardening at: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/yamhill/eco-gardening Selecting native plants for home landscapes in Central Oregon at: http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/19858/ec1623-e.pdf Oregon Flora Project (interactive maps and photos) at: http://www.oregonflora.org/

52. Thank you! Linda R McMahan Botanist and Horticulturist Oregon State University Extension Service, Yamhill County linda.mcmahan@oregonstate.edu Note: This presentation may be used for educational purposes without express permission. All plant and garden photographs, except as noted, by Linda R McMahan at Oregon State University. Please contact author for all non-educational uses of photographs. Tall Oregon grape, Berberis aquifolium