Garden Tips Spring 2008
		Native Plants/Grasses
		Last summer as my husband and I sat on our deck he asked "what is that plant?" I informed him that it was Bergamot, also known as Monarda. I then followed it up with the simple comment that it is a native plant. The response: "yea, it looks like a weed". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, proper placement of plants can help highlight some of their better qualities while hiding their less desirable features. Now that I have seen the patch of Monarda grow in my garden for a few seasons, I know that it needs to be placed among plants that will hide its long leafless stems but still allow the flower heads to show. Because some people are afraid of putting a plant in their garden that "looks like a weed", they shy away from native plants. Or possibly they don't want a "prairie garden" they prefer a more formal looking garden. I've been intrigued with some of the benefits native plants can provide, including attracting butterflies and birds to the yard, but like many people, I do not want my garden to be a "field of wild flowers". This past winter, I have been researching native plants that I can incorporate into my garden among other well behaved perennials and shrubs. Following are some websites that I found helpful while I was researching native plants.
		Enhancing Beneficial Insects with Native Plants Michigan State University, Department of Entomology
		Northern Michigan's Native Plants (pdf file) Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Petoskey, Michigan
		Michigan Native Plant Producers Association Sources for Michigan native plants and seeds
		Prairie Nursery A commercial nursery in Westfield, Wisconsin, specializing in prairie plants. This website has a large photo gallery as well as a feature to select plants by habitat.
		Butterfly Gardening and Conservation (pdf file) Missouri Department of Conservation
		Midwest Invasive Plant Network Includes a link to "Landscape Alternatives for Invasive Plants of the Midwest"
		North American Native Plant Society North American Native Plant Society