One stately maple tree and grass from fence to fence: That's essentially the back yard that my family and I inherited when we bought our house about seven years ago.

Now, when you step into this same yard, you'll see potential, trial-and-error, and, hopefully, the start of a mini-wildlife sanctuary.

Will you see perfectly mowed, fertilized, and edged lawn? No. Will you see pavers laid out squarely and walls of imported stone? No again. Will you see standard-issue suburban rose bushes, pachysandra, and azaleas around the perimeter of the house? Well, yes, actually, but some things we inherit from others serve a purpose and/or can be tough to get rid of.

But... will you see rainwater over-filling a rain garden and speckled with mosquito dunks because it takes too long to drain (thanks marl!)? Quite possibly. Will you see scraggly looking twigs that were planted over the past couple of years and taking a while to sprout vertically or keep getting devoured by deer? Most likely. Will you see empty spaces where plants didn't make it and need to be replaced? Yes, sad to say.

All of this imperfectness is part of my experimenting in growing native plants, which range in categories from edibles to groundcovers to wildflowers and so forth.

You're invited to stop on by to see what's working, what's not, and perhaps be disappointed that it's not a Versailles-style back yard... but if nothing else, hopefully it helps you dig into planting natives in your own yard!

Looking forward to seeing you,

Mike in Woodstream