Native Plant Spring Events & Resources Ahead!
- 18 hours ago
- 4 min read
Loads of fantastic options to choose from.
Our spring equinox is just over 4 weeks away! Tips of serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) branches are beginning to swell and you may be seeing other signs of lengthening days in your garden. This natural energy in nature is matched by an incredible array of native plant gardening opportunities this spring. Here are a few of the dozens coming our way you might want to check out!
Landscape Design
I recently shared what I think is one of the best resources out there if you want to turn your yard into a garden with an eye toward native plants. This one hour free webinar "Design Your Yard" by Heather and Zoe Evans is useful whether you plan to DIY it or engage a professional. Watching it shows you how to organize your thoughts about how to get the basic layout of a garden with just pencil and paper. It's super easy. If you have completed that exercise and want a bit more guidance you might try this two part class with Jason Gedeik, Senior Horticulturist, at Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County, Maryland. You may recognize Jason's name as he has been hosting the annual GreenScapes Symposium the past several years. The two virtual lectures cost $15 each, are open to all and you’ll learn the core principles of landscape design to create outdoor spaces that are functional and beautiful. You will have to create an account with Montgomery County to register.
Introduction to Landscape Design I
Thursday, March 5, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
AND
Introduction to Landscape Design II
Thursday, March 19, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
In Person Talk & Gathering
All gardening is local and this year's Unity Gardens Annual Spring Lecture features Anne Arundel County gardener and sustainable gardening expert, Allison Milligan. Scheduled for 10 am on March 14, 2026 at St. Martin's Lutheran Church in Annapolis, this talk will cover practical ideas for both novice and experienced native plant enthusiasts alike. The gathering is always well attended and you are sure to meet a new gardener or three! More information here. The $40 ticket helps support all of those Unity Gardens grants for local native plant gardens.
Building a Wildlife Pond
A water source in your garden adds immeasurably to its wildlife value. Some people go straight to the pond. My journey was slower, first one bird bath, then another, then a small pond and now a slightly larger one! Each step visibly increased the wildlife experience in my garden.
A webinar entitled "Here’s Exactly How to Build Your Wildlife Pond" will be held on Tuesday, April 7, at 6 pm. This is hosted by Design Your Wild, the same mother daughter duo who host the free webinar "Design Your Yard" mentioned at the start. The pond workshop is only open to annual subscribers of Design Your Wild. An annual subscription costs $30 and you can sign up here. The subscription enables you to access all of their webinars for free. I also really enjoyed "Yardenalities," described as a shortcut to finding your perfect garden style. Based on the two webinars I have taken, I'm thinking the pond webinar will be very good!
The Design Your Wild description says "If you’ve always wanted to create a small pond but have been too intimidated to start, this is for you. Wildlife need clean drinking water to survive and many threatened species breed or live in water. Unfortunately, many sources make pond building overly complicated—and less valuable for wildlife. By the time you leave this interview with scientist and author of Building Natural Ponds Robert Pavlis, you’ll be ready to build your wildlife pond—without pumps, filters, or chemicals."
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Gardening with Natives in the Piedmont
There is a new, phenomenal, free resource for those of us who garden in the piedmont. This 135 page downloadable book is an absolute treasure trove of native plant advice for us. A simple chart showing how to get blooms from native plants all season long? Check.
Easy to use photos to identify native weeds? Check. Local plants for dry shade in an easy to use list? Check. And so much more. The information is so clearly organized and presented. The very best news of all? Versions for the coastal plain and mountain ranges are coming in the next two years. While designed for Maryland's piedmont, gardeners in Washington D.C. and other Chesapeake Bay states will find lots of useful, applicable information to use too. Congrats to the University of Maryland Extension Service and your partners - this will be a best seller! And it's free.
All gardening is local and so many organizations, communities, businesses and gardeners are providing information, plant sales, events and so much more to help us all succeed with our gardening dreams. If you have favorites you want to share, by all means, please add to the comments!
Happy Gardening.
Six years ago, I began planting native shrubs inside our (invasive) privet hedge. It was a step towards losing the lawn without having my husband pull his hair out. This winter I began wondering if I could begin to plant native grasses and flowering native plants inside those edges, leaving a rounded lawn in the center. I'm ready to do that this year and my husband is on board!
Thank you for sharing this. I see that the paper version of the Piedmont booklet is sold out, so I will lie in wait. I've heard that Pope Farm opens to the public briefly every year. I was wondering if you have any information about that?