Resources and Links, including our Planting Guide
Cicero got it...
LOCAL RESOURCES:
ECO LOGIC LLC. Regional pioneers in the restoration of native plant communities. http://ecologicindiana.com
INPS. Indiana Native Plant Society. Tremendous resource for all things native—great facebook page, too. https://indiananativeplants.org
GORDON MITCHELL'S PLANT PAGES (courtesy of INPS). The most extensive and thorough listing of Indiana native plants we know of. https://indiananativeplants.org/native-plants/gordon-mitchell-articles/
MC-IRIS. Monroe County Identify and Reduce Invasive Species. This local group is dedicated to the flip side of native plant advocacy, namely removal of the invasive species that threaten Monroe County's ecological health. http://mc-iris.org/
BLOOMINGTON URBAN WOODLANDS PROJECT. A program run through Indiana University to promote healthy woodlands and reconnect the Bloomington community with them. http://www.indiana.edu/~sustain/programs/buwp/index.php
NATIONAL RESOURCES:
MONARCH GARDENS. A great resource—sign up for Ben’s monthly newsletter. https://www.monarchgard.com/
PRAIRIE NURSERY and PRAIRIE MOON NURSERY. Premier mail-order native plant nurseries in the Midwest. Seed, plugs, and shrubs. Extremely useful catalogs! http://www.prairienursery.com/ http://www.prairiemoon.com/
NATIVE PLANT CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN. National network of native plant societies. Strong on the science of and advocacy for native plants. http://plantsocieties.cnps.org/
WILD ONES. "Healing the earth one yard at a time." Smart and spunky organization devoted to the natural landscaping movement. http://wildones.org/
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. An excellent resource for looking up all manner of native plants. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/
ECOBENEFICIAL. Natives guru Kim Eierman’s excellent website, replete with useful tips, articles, video. https://www.ecobeneficial.com/
This from our British cousins and from our friend Danielle, a young student of ecological gardening: http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/resource/10-tips-eco-friendly-gardening/
RECOMMENDED READING:
INPS' recommended reading list. https://indiananativeplants.org/native-plants/519-2/
Bringing Nature Home, by Doug Tallamy. The bible of the native plant movement. Also his latest, Nature’s Best Hope.
The Pollinator Victory Garden, by Kim Eierman.
Noah’s Garden, by Sara Stein. An engaging personal journey into the wonders of gardening with natives.
PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS:
As much as selecting the right location for your tree or shrub (ask us if you’re unsure), planting properly will save you time, money, and effort. Here are the four most essential points to ensure your planting success:
1. Open up the rootball. Your tree or shrub may be a little rootbound, and will likely be potted in a planting mix that is more “packaging material” than soil. Shake off as much of the planting mix as you can and examine the roots. Use a soil knife or pruning saw to cut open the rootball if it’s rootbound, and tease out the roots as much as possible. Remember they have to grow out away from the tree, not down or around. Most importantly, cut any circling roots.
2. Dig the hole wider, not deep. Your tree’s roots need to extend outward, so dig the hole at least twice as wide as the rootball. Find the root flare (where the trunk swells to become root tissue) and plant that ABOVE the soil level. See diagram below for a good illustration of the proper planting level, as well as proper root positioning, proper hole size, and proper mulching.
3. Do not amend. The tree or shrub needs to make its way in the soil that is there. You’re not doing it any favors by giving it amended soil, which only encourages its roots to keep circling around in the hole, never venturing outward where they need to be.
4. Mulch intelligently. Never mound up mulch against the trunk, and keep your mulch to 3 inches at most. The mulch should form a bagel-like basin (see illustration). Wood chips or pine needles are much better than bark mulch or bark nuggets. Water well and then water deeply once a week when there’s no rain, until the first November after planting.