A Guide for Enhancing the Ecosystem in Your Backyard

If you’re an avid gardener or want to start gardening, examining your yard is one of the first steps to ensuring your plants will sprout and flourish. Here are some practical tips to help you grow a healthy, colorful garden to improve your backyard’s ecosystem.

Growing Native Plants

Once you know the soil type in your area, you can choose plants that will thrive in that soil. You can use the Web Soil Survey provided online by the USDA for this information. Once you enter your address, you’ll see the soil type(s) native to your city, state, and region. For instance, if you live in Illinois or Ohio and have loamy soil in your backyard, it’s best to grow flowers like lavender or coneflower. If you’re growing a vegetable garden, carrots, and tomatoes will thrive in your area. However, if you live in Idaho or Rhode Island, silt soil is prominent in your area, and plants like day lily, yarrow, lettuce, and onions will develop well in the soil.

Grow Pollinator Plants

Whether you’re planting flowers, vegetables, fruits, or herbs, garden pollinators are necessary. These plants are attractive to insects and animals that are pollinators. These creatures depend on the nectar of the plants for food, and in turn, transfer pollen among the plants in your garden to help them grow. Brightly colored plants in shades of blue, red, pink, and purple will ensure pollinators visit your backyard ecosystem regularly.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are among the most well-known pollinators. However, ants, flies, bats, and moths can also contribute to the pollination process. For instance, allium, which grows in spring and summer, attracts pollinators by producing a sweet nectar that appeals to bumblebees and honeybees. Catmint, which grows in the latter part of spring into the fall season is another attractive pollinator since it produces a nectar that bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds prefer to consume.

Include a Variety of Plants

A thriving backyard ecosystem needs several types of plants. Planting herbs, vegetables, shrubs, flowers, and fruits that bloom in different seasons will ensure a beautiful and well-developed garden all year. Plants of differing sizes will make your garden visually appealing while attracting the pollinators your backyard ecosystem needs. It’s also a good idea to use planters that help your plants maintain their structure and remove excess drainage to prevent the plant from rotting. For example, a sphere-shaped planter is best for hostas or ferns. However, a double-layer planter is ideal for edible plants like spinach, strawberries, and herbs like dill and parsley.

Finally, care for the plants you’ve selected for your garden according to their needs. Some plants, like arugula and hydrangeas, need plenty of shade to grow properly. However, geraniums and bird of paradise flowers need direct sunlight to produce the nectar that pollinators consume. You can also time your sprinklers to water your plants to keep soil conditions ideal. If you’re growing edible plants, harvesting them at the right time is crucial to get the best flavor from them while maintaining the health of the soil. Happy gardening!