Looking after your new friends
Growing a thriving native garden is easier than you might think—it just takes a little preparation and patience. This guide walks you through the essentials: selecting plants suited to our high desert climate, preparing your site, caring for new arrivals, and nurturing your garden through that critical first year. Whether you're creating pollinator habitat, reducing water use, or simply want a beautiful, low-maintenance landscape, these tips will help you succeed.
Choosing the Right Plant
Successful gardening starts with choosing plants that will grow well in your soil and climate. Choosing plants native to your area is a great way to ensure they grow successfully, as they have adapted to your local conditions. The native plants we grow are adapted to the alkaline soils, intense sunlight, and extreme temperature fluctuations characteristic of the high desert and the intermountain west.
Preparing for Planting
Choose to plant in a location where your plants will receive the amount of sunshine or shade they need. “Full sun” typically means six or more hours of sunlight per day. Some species that need part shade will likely appreciate afternoon shade, especially in the high desert.
Prepare the planting site by removing existing aggressive (invasive) species or lawn. We recommend avoiding the use of landscaping fabric for weed control. Instead, consider choosing to plant an area that is of manageable size so that it can be hand-weeded regularly.
If deer are present, consider preparing metal cages to protect your young plants until they grow larger and are well-established.
Receiving Your Plants
When you receive your plants, open the box right away. Remove your plants from the box and give them a thorough watering. Find and read the detailed plant and care information included with your purchase.
Plant them as soon as possible. If you are in a heat wave, it might be best to wait a few days until temperatures are lower. If you are not planting right away, we recommend placing your plants where they will be shaded in the afternoon and checking them daily to see if they need to be watered.
Planting and Care After Planting
Plant at the same level as they were in the pot and leave a basin around the plant that will channel water to the root zone. For taprooted species such as milkweeds, transplant with care to avoid damaging the sensitive taproot. Water thoroughly when planting by filling the basin twice.
For most species, no compost or fertilizer needs to be added to the soil of the planting site, but a mulch of compost, leaves, and/or garden debris is a great idea. Just remember to leave some bare ground for the many native bees that will be visiting your garden!
In the first growing season, your plants will require regular care and attention as they get settled in. Water regularly and do not allow the soil to completely dry out. Even the most drought-tolerant plants are not truly drought-tolerant until well established, which happens after being in the ground for about a year. In sandy soil, this means watering two or three times a week for the first month. In clay soil, once a week for the first month is usually adequate. The frequency of watering can be tapered off gradually after this first month. It is also important to weed regularly, as opportunistic weeds can out-compete young native plants.
Although some native species grow quickly (some will even flower in the first year!), don’t expect significant above-ground growth in the first year. However, your plants will be growing vigorously below ground as perennials and native plants tend to focus on root development first. As the saying goes, first year sleep, second year creep, third year leap.