Designing Attractive Native Gardens

In the minds of many city dwellers, the terms “native plants” and “prairie restoration” evoke visions of wide open spaces either blooming gloriously or looking wild and unkempt. Neither vision has translated well to the traditional home lot – until now.

Join John J. Gishnock III, ecological designer and owner of Formecology, along with his 12 years of designing artful and sustainable landscapes as he takes you through a process of developing attractive native plantings and gardens that utilize wildflowers, grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees to create a more natural, wild look or a clean, organized planting suitable for the most refined of settings.

Selecting native plants based on aesthetic criteria is a very different process than selecting species based solely on their ecological appropriateness and fitness to a site. Using criteria like plant structure/seasonality and designing combinations with a focus on contrast through texture, color and height can help us create eye-catching gardens for all settings and seasons. Understanding aesthetic criteria as well as ecological appropriateness will provide proper insight into establishing a native garden aesthetic fit for any setting - from rural residences to urban municipal buildings.