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Get ideas for using native plants from an 'expert'

To get plants, check out mowildflowers.net

By RENEE JEAN
Daily Journal Assistant Managing Editor

Sunday, May 11, 2008

More Photos

Walk on the Wildside
2 p.m. Saturday
St. Francois State Park

So you’re sold on the idea that native plants can help you save money and the environment and you’ve located a reputable nursery such as Missouri Wildflowers Nursery to buy your plants.

Now where do you get ideas for using them in your own landscape designs?

Many experts who use native plants get their ideas from the ultimate master gardener — Mother Nature.

“I get a lot of ideas from seeing how the plants grow in nature,” says Jan Dellamano, a private land conservationist with Missouri Department of Conservation.

He is a native plant expert and works with a program that helps landowners with large tracts restore wildlife habitat or add warm season grass to pastures, increasing yields. He has also used native plants in his own landscapes at home, and draws on nature for design.

“I personally like to use natives because they are truly unique and unusual,” he said. “Whereas everyone has seen most of the alien exotic species, Missouri natives offer some truly unusual sights.

“They’re also kind of fun to work with. It’s a whole new palette of form, color and texture you can use in a landscape. And so many are good for wildlife, it just adds another interesting dimension to the landscape.”

Dellamano will be assisting with the Grow Native! Landscape Challenge this year, which is a $1,000 Earth Day makeover of a lawn using native plants. He’ll serve as a consultant for professional landscaper Linda Resinger.

For the challenge, makeover sites must be in St. Francois County and must be at least 12x12. In addition to homeowners, businesses, clubs and organizations are also eligible this year. Applications for entry are available from the Daily Journal office in Park Hills and the Farmington Press office in Farmington, or online here (PDF, 45KB). Enter by May 12, and you could also win a signed copy of David Mizejewski’s book, “Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife.”

All entrants must demonstrate their commitment to maintaining the site once complete.

St. Francois State Park has organized a wildflower walk this year to show off native wildflowers, and it will be an excellent opportunity to draw from the natural palette and get ideas for your own landscape.

Jamie Hubert, a naturalist at the park, explains more about the walk in the story accompanying this one.

Of course you should never dig up wildflowers from natural sites, unless they are about to be bulldozed and you have permission. Otherwise, always obtain native plants from a reputable nursery, such as Missouri Wildflowers, www.mowildflowers.net which also offers educational articles for growing natives at its Web site.

While you probably won’t see one during the walk Saturday, one of Dellamano’s wild favorites is called Green Dragon. This unusual plant is a relative of Jack in the Pulpit. It has a dragon-like tongue and a 1-2 foot wide leaf that looks a bit like a claw. It’s also a shade lover.

“I don’t want to call it exotic, because it is a native plant, but it looks like it comes from another planet,” Dellamano said. “I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s just very unusual.”