Dyck Arboretum Design Ideas and Growing Tips

Native plant gardening makes sense for small and large landscapes. Whether you have 40 acres in the country, a yard in town, or several containers on your patio, you can turn to the prairies and woodlands around you for inspiration.

Native plant gardens celebrate regional differences, giving you a deep sense of the land upon which you live. You rediscover the exotically beautiful indigenous plants that were here before our landscapes were homogenized. Through close contact, you experience the natural processes through four seasons of changing color and texture.

Our native plants are adapted to the soil, climate and natural water supply of the region. They thrive without large inputs of water, herbicides and pesticides. They grow in colonies, reminding us to landscape by grouping plants with the same cultural needs.

By providing a home for species which are losing more of their wild habitat, biodiversity is enhanced and local gene pools are perpetuated. Planting a variety of natives provides food and shelter for many beneficial insects, which pollinate flowers and bring the garden to life.