LANDSCAPING WITH NATIVE PLANTS Fourth Edition of the original Wild Ones Handbook A BRIEF HISTORY OF WILD ONES ® ild Ones is a direct outgrowth of a natural projects. In the spring, summer and fall we are out on yard landscaping workshop offered by the Schlitz tours, woods excursions, and digs (rescuing plants in the W Audubon Center of Milwaukee, Wis., in 1977. path of development). Annually, each chapter offers a “help A nucleus of nine people became intensely interested in me” day of consultation at various members’ properties. In this new concept of native plants as an alternative to lawns. the late summer and autumn, we go on seed-collecting out- A camaraderie developed during the lectures, tours, and ings, sustainably harvesting seeds to do our own plant digs, but it was two years later that an organization propagation. sprouted. Gini Lindow had a ‘wild’ idea that blossomed into Beyond exchanging seeds and rescuing plants, we Wild Ones—Natural Landscapers, Ltd. Our resi- patronize the reputable native plant and seed dent expert, Lorrie Otto, taught us much about companies that have taken root. We do all these National the natural landscaping philosophy—organizing Presidents joyous things in an effort to grow a diverse and yard tours to help us with planning our yards. eye-pleasing collection of native species on our Gini Lindow We are no common ‘garden variety’ garden own land. James Brien club, but a fast-growing, not-for-profit organi- In July 1979 there were just nine members. Margot Fuchs zation encouraging natural yards with a sensi- As of 2004, there are 3,000 members in more Lu Ann Thompson tivity to land use in harmony with Nature. than 40 chapters. We believe time will prove our Rae Sweet Chapter winter programs include how-to-do-it landscaping methods popular for their econom- Deb Harwell sessions, seed exchanges, and presentations ic and environmental benefits, but we are Irena Macek by experts in prairie, woodland, and wetland already proving, by example, that our land- Mandy Ploch restoration, and members profiling their own scapes are beautiful—naturally. ❧ Bret Rappaport Joe Powelka WELCOME TO WILD ONES ® AND A HERITAGE OF STEWARDSHIP embers and friends of Wild Ones have native landscapes to protect genotypes and endan- watched and participated in a journey of gered species. M delight as they followed the natural land- All the while there were a few graduate students scaping movement. At first it was just the artists who who literally made it their business to provide us with were courageous enough to break the cruel fashion of native seeds and plants grown in their own nurseries. lawns. Not only were the landscapes flat, bleak and Today we name with pride and gratitude: Ahrenhoer- shaved, but shrubs were not free to display their own ster, Boehlke, Smith to Diboll, Kopitzke to Glass, shapes or bear flowers and fruit at the ends of their Powers and Wade. During these times not only was it branches. Young trees were pruned to look like difficult to get support from neighbors and officials, bushes on top of long broomsticks. Mature trees were but information on how to do it, where to do it and why sprayed with biocides which killed songbirds, butter- we should do it was hard to find. Oh! My Goodness! flies and multitudes of other breathing, moving life My Goodness! What a gift this Landscaping with forms. However, it was the aesthetic impoverishment Native Plants would have been then. which empowered these artists in the early ’70s to May this new generation learn from this book and defy the weed laws (conformity laws) and decorate treasure it, while making a lifetime commitment to their yards with diverse, tousled, communities of life. being good stewards as we heal our Earth! In Milwaukee, it was Ruth Grotenrath, Mary Berry, Emeline Krause, Tula Erskine, Rochelle Whiteman and I who flaunted our front yards of flowers and their pollinators. Soon Nature lovers and birders joined with their own models. Finally, concerned scientists added to the chorus, calling for islands and corridors of Lorrie Otto NATURAL LANDSCAPING IS C O N T E N T S MORE BENEFICIAL … — ALL THE LIFE THERE IS choosing organic methods over poisonous ones Biodiversity . .4 … MORE ENLIGHTENED— reviving ecosystems rather than A Sustainable Future . .5 planting indiscriminately THE LANDSCAPE THAT WAS … MORE JOYOUS— growing ever-changing plantscapes Forest. .6 instead of mow-me-every-week turf grass Prairie . .7 … MORE ALIVE— attracting a diversity of wildlife that have Wetlands . .8 few natural places left to call home. Today’s Lawns . .9 Landscaping with Native Plants (formerly titled WHAT EVERY WILD ONE SHOULD KNOW Wild Ones Handbook) presents the current wisdom regarding natural landscaping techniques. However, Being Neighborly . .10 native plant culture and propagation theories continue to develop. You are encouraged to attend Wild Ones Important Causes of Hayfever .11 chapter meetings where knowledgeable individuals will keep you abreast of practices that work best in your Observational Design . .12 locale. If your area does not have a chapter, you may form one. Request chapter information by writing to: Policies & Opportunities . .15 Wild Ones, P.O. Box 1274, Appleton, WI 54912-1274. It Starts with The Soil . .16 This special issue represents the work of many pioneers of the natural landscaping movement. The Removing Vegetation . .17 views expressed are the opinions of the writers. The people whose names follow have earned our apprecia- Handling Seed . .18 tion for putting on paper the why-for’s and how-to’s of natural landscaping. Planting A Woodland . .19 On behalf of our readers, thank you to: Planting A Prairie . .20 Annette Alexander Pat Armstrong Pat Brust Carol Chew Prairie Maintenance . .21 Elizabeth Czarpata Neil Diboll Wet Gardens . .22 Barb Glassel Darrel Morrison Lorrie Otto Tom Patrick Invasive Species . .23 Mandy Ploch Joyce Powers Bret Rappaport Gloria Stupak Landscaping for Wildlife . .24 Craig Tufts Don Vorpahl Genetic Guidelines . .26 Alan Wade Wendy Walcott E.O. Wilson Fox Valley Area Chapter for originating Copyright © 2004, Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes the idea for this book Landscaping with Native Plants is published on an as-needed basis. and Wild Ones’ very special illustrator— Copies may be obtained through chapters or by writing to: Lucy Schumann WILD ONES P.O. BOX 1274, APPLETON, WI 54912-1274 —Joy Buslaff, editor Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes promotes environ- —Lorraine Johnson, editor of mentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the revised fourth edition preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organi- zation. TO BECOME A WILD ONES MEMBER Wild Ones Natural Landscapers Ltd. (now known as Wild Ones: Native or to obtain Wild Ones products, visit our website, Plants, Natural Landscapes) was incorporated in 1990 in the State of Wis- contact your local chapter or request current pricing consin, under the Wisconsin Non-Stock Corporation Act for educational information from the Appleton address at right. and scientific purposes. Wild Ones is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corpora- Landscaping with Native Plants (4th Edition) tion under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is publicly and the original Wild Ones Handbook can also be supported as defined in Sections 170(b) (1)(iv) and 509(a). Donations are found online at http://www.for-wild.org and at tax deductible as allowed by law. http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/ All The Life There Is The Diversity of Life BY E.O. WILSON BY JOYCE POWERS, REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR CRM ECOSYSTEMS/PRAIRIE RIDGE NURSERY he creation of biodiversity came slow and iological diversity refers to the number hard: 3 billion years of evolution to start of different life forms co-existing in an T the profusion of animals that occupy the B ecosystem. Ecologists know that the seas, another 350 million years to assemble the more different kinds of organisms that can rain forests in which half or more of the species co-exist in a system, the more stable or resilient on Earth now live. Life had stalled on plateaus that system is. The concept of a web is often along the way, and on five occasions it suffered used to explain why this is so. “Nature, in extinction spasms that took 10 million years to Picture a spider’s web with its complex inter- her blind repair. But the thrust was upward. Today the connections. Suppose that each connection point search for diversity of life is greater than it was a 100 mil- is a separate life form or species and the strands life, has lion years ago—and far greater than 500 million connecting them are their interactions with one filled every years before that. another. Clearly, the more points of connection possible The modern fauna and flora are composed of or intersections within the web, the stronger it is. cranny of survivors that somehow managed to dodge and Further, when some event occurs that destroys a the Earth weave through all the radiations and extinctions point of connection or even a small section of the with some of geological history. All living species are web, the whole web does not collapse. However, sort of direct descendants of the organisms that imagine that one-half of the connection points fantastic lived 3.8 billion years ago. They are living are destroyed, without tearing the fabric of the creature.” genetic libraries which record evolutionary web, just decreasing the interconnections. The —Joseph events all across that immense span of time. web becomes noticeably more fragile. The next Krutch Scoop out a plant, shake the soil from the accidental event may destroy it completely.