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Planting native plants in backyard #887152

Asked October 04, 2024, 1:10 PM EDT

I am interested in converting part of my backyard (currently just grass) into an area with native plants and plants for pollinators. I'd like some guidance on how to best go about this. Thanks for your help.

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

We have several online resources that may be helpful, which we'll link to below. A good first step is to evaluate the site conditions where you want to replant -- how much direct summer sun it receives (closer to July than now), how well the soil drains, and how acidic or not the soil is (via a laboratory soil test). Whether deer pose a browsing risk and how much space you have for plants to mature without needing to be trimmed to fit are other considerations.
  • Lawn Alternatives -- a collection of pages about this topic, including some case studies as examples or inspiration, plus turfgrass removal methods
  • Native Plants -- a collection of pages about specific plants (just a handful as examples, since thousands of plants are native in Maryland) plus general native plant gardening guidance
  • Insect Friendly Gardens and Pollinators and Beneficial Insects overlap and contain information about attracting pollinators, some common types of pollinators (beyond bees and butterflies), and how to support them aside from plant choice
  • Soil Testing and Soil Testing Labs -- we can help to interpret results if you wish; it's always best to choose plants based on their suitability for the site (including soil conditions like pH) than try to change the conditions to suit certain plants
Miri

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