Renata’s Garden Gander

Renata’s Garden Gander

Taming the Prairie: Part 2

Native Plant Selection for Your Garden

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Renata Goossen
May 07, 2025
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In part one of this article, we unearthed more about my background with the Kansas prairie, how I became interested in the native plant realm of horticulture, and a little bit about why we are returning to natives in the modern garden. And, as promised, this week we are going to take on the topic of native plant selection and how you, as a critical consumer and gardener, can select the best plants for success in your native plot.

Native, nativar or native-somewhere plants?

Words have power. They control our perception. They control meaning. When I say “native” or “wildflower” or perhaps the newest coined term “eco-beneficial” to describe a plant, what comes to mind?

Do you think, weedy? Do you think, pollinator friendly? Do you think, save the Monarchs? Do you think, drought tolerant? Or, how about, low-maintenance and tough?

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