they produce seeds, berries or fruit. These are all food sources for pollinators and wildlife. The goal is to have plants that provide sustenance and shelter throughout each season. This is especially important in winter, when wildlife struggles to survive.
When selecting plants, you’ ll find that those offering the most environmental benefits are often native plants that grow in our local regions and ecosystems. Selecting native plants that are welladapted to Montgomery County’ s climate conditions will require less watering, fertilizing and general maintenance— thus increasing the sustainability of your landscape. They will also last longer in your garden, which saves on resources by not having to purchase new plants each season.
At Brookside Gardens, we’ re continually identifying areas that can be supplemented with native plants or opportunities to create entirely new landscapes with them. One example undertook transforming an unplanned area next to the upper Aquatic Garden into a pollinator paradise. Named after a beloved volunteer, the Harry Dewey Memorial Garden weaves a tapestry of native plants to create colorful ribbons of flowers when see from afar. Hummingbirds are drawn to the vivid red flowers of Monarda didyma( Bee balm), butterflies enjoy the pollen of Agastache foeniculum( Anise hyssop) and gold finches delight in feasting on the abundant seeds of Rudbeckia maxima( Giant coneflower) in the fall.
Another initiative is our recently created native azalea and rhododendron garden. This garden area was not previously landscaped with intention. We recognized that the existing plants offered little in the way of food sources or natural habitat for pollinators and wildlife.
The new design currently includes 11 different species of native azaleas and rhododendrons, taking into account the cultural conditions of the woodland setting. Virginia bluebells, golden ragwort and other native perennials create a flowering ground cover. Adding to the sustainability, these plants were grown at Montgomery Parks’ Pope Farm Production Facility, where approximately 180 different native species and over 50,000 native plants are cultivated annually.
Does this mean that you need to rip out all non-native plants from your garden? Not at all. Doug
The transformation of the Harry Dewey
Memorial Garden with native plants at Brookside Gardens brought an abundance of seasonal color, bees, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. plenty I spring sowing 2025 7