{"id":4237,"date":"2019-04-11T07:48:45","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T11:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greatbiggreenhouse.com\/?p=4237"},"modified":"2025-05-19T15:09:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T19:09:06","slug":"garden-time-with-doug-native-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/great-big-greenhouse-gardening-blog\/garden-time-with-doug-native-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Why VA Native Plants Are Essential for Your Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

What are native plants, and why should I consider planting them?<\/h2>\n

There is some confusion when determining if, or how, a plant is considered \u201cnative.\u201d In my opinion, the best definition for a \u201cnative\u201d comes from the Virginia Native Plant Society:<\/p>\n

“Native plants are those that were growing here when the settlers first arrived and have adapted to the environmental conditions of this region over a long period of time. This gives them an advantage over introduced species by being resistant to drought, insects, and diseases, and they are ideal for growing in a natural garden.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Why should someone consider native plants? It is advantageous to use native plants because they require less maintenance than horticultural varieties that have not adapted to our local weather patterns and soil conditions. Also, as land is being developed for commercial and residential growth, we are losing our native plants. It seems to be our responsibility to help preserve our natural plants for future generations by just adding a few native plants to our landscape.<\/p>\n

Gardening with native plants is becoming a strong gardening trend with homeowners. More and more, we are reading about gardening symposiums being conducted by local Master Gardeners and other horticultural professionals that include gardening with native plants as a topic. As a matter of fact, this past month, our very own Eve Roemhildt conducted a seminar on native plants, and it was very informative and very well attended. Eve compiled an extraordinary handout listing our native plants (trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and grasses). We have this as a handout for anyone interested.<\/p>\n

Here are some reasons to grow native plants:<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Not only do native plants produce beautiful flowers, but they also produce fruits, seeds, and nectar that are friendly to wildlife.<\/li>\n
  2. Native plants create more diverse habitats for wildlife, attracting more than 3 times the number of beneficial insects than non-native plants.<\/li>\n
  3. Native plants are easier to grow.<\/li>\n
  4. Native plants invite wildlife.<\/li>\n
  5. Native plants add natural beauty to the landscape.<\/li>\n
  6. Native plants require less maintenance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    When you are ready, come to The Great Big Greenhouse in Richmond<\/a> and let us show you our extensive selection of native Virginia plants that we have available now.<\/p>\n

    HAPPY SPRING and HAPPY \u201cNATIVE\u201d GARDENING<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What are native plants, and why should I consider planting them? There is some confusion when determining if, or how, a plant is considered \u201cnative.\u201d In my opinion, the best definition for a \u201cnative\u201d comes from the Virginia Native Plant Society: “Native plants are those that were growing here when the settlers first arrived and … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gardening-with-doug","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy You Should Add VA Native Plants to Your Garden<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the benefits of VA native plants for your garden, from attracting wildlife 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