Gardening for wildlife
Since starting this native plant gardening journey I've learned quite a few lessons. I figured I would share them so that perhaps others wouldn't make the same mistakes I made in the beginning.
The first thing that I implore you to do before planting anything is to know your property.
What kind of soil do you have? How moist/dry is your soil? What trees are on the property? What shrubs? How much sun does the space you'll be planting in gets? How shady is it? Where does the rain water go when it rains?
Once you have the answers to these questions, you're still not ready to go plant shopping.
Look at the surrounding natural areas, are any of them similar to your property? Is the soil/sun condition similar? Are the native trees/shrubs the same? What flowering plants, grasses and sedges are growing there?
Once you've answered these questions THEN can you start to think about what plants to buy.
Make a list of those plants that would thrive in your conditions. Read up on their habit, how tall do they get, how aggressive are they, who do they play well with.
Stay tuned for the next step.