Southern Blue Flag

These are some resources I’ve found especially helpful.

Wild Ones is a national organization that advocates landscaping with native plants. The Lexington chapter’s activities include garden tours, field trips, speakers, workshops, and plant exchanges. It’s a great place to learn and share ideas with others. Visitors are always welcome.

Books
Bringing Nature Home:How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens - Douglas Tallamy. Based on his research at the University of Delaware, Tallamy makes a strong case for why landscaping with native plants is important.

Gardening for Life – Douglas Tallamy. If you don’t have time to read a book, I highly recommend this three-page article that Tallamy wrote for the Wild Ones Journal. It can easily be downloaded and printed.

Best Woody Plants and Best Herbaceous Plants – two lists by Tallamy for attracting butterflies and moths.

Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East – Carolyn Summers.
Based on Tallamy’s information as to “why” plant natives, Summers provides practical ideas for “how” to incorporate natives into conventional landscapes.

Magazine
Woodlands and Prairies Magazine – About Caring for Your Piece of this Good Earth.
I like the emphasis in this magazine on healthy land management that includes suburban yards as well as country acreages. It’s a source of information, inspiration, and stories about folks who are committed to creating healthy landscapes.

Local places to see native plants
The Lexington, Kentucky Arboretum is one of my favorite places to visit and photograph.  The collection of trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers continues to be very helpful to me in learning more about Kentucky native plants.

“Springhouse Gardens where buying plants is a walk in the park!” includes the “Native Island” which displays both shade and sun loving native plants and many other plants as well.  6041 Harrodsburg Road, Nicholasville, KY. Phone: 859-224-1417

Shooting Star Nursery sells a wide selection of Kentucky native plants. In addition, this is a great place to see native plants growing and blooming in attractive landscaped beds. 160 Soards Rd., Georgetown, KY. Phone: 502-867-7979.