Native Plants Support Birds
There’s a commercial running rampant on tv right now called “Shop Small,” the idea being that for one day (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) we should support the small businesses in our communities.
Well, being the extremely intelligent people that you are, I’m sure you realize that we cannot make much of a difference at all by supporting the small local businesses we love just one day a year. If they are to survive and thrive against the never-ending onslaught of the big box stores, we must support them all year.
We can make a huge difference for our friends and neighbors by voting with our hard-earned dollars to support these community members.
For us as devoted wildlife gardeners, we can best do this by supporting our local native plant nurseries and joining our local native plant societies.
Native plants support butterflies
Imagine for a moment you’re a plant sitting on the shelves at your local Home Depot or other big box store. You probably began your life in a field in Wisconsin or Kansas or some other place far away from your area.
You were potted up and trucked to the main distribution center in Atlanta, and then trucked all over the country to arrive on your current shelf.
Not only is this a complete waste of gasoline, but that plant is hardly adapted to the conditions in your area and you will have to work quite hard to get it established in your garden. We wildlife gardeners know, you should NOT have to baby your plants this much to get them to grow in your garden.
Besides, have you ever tried to get correct information from the surly teenager manning the garden section at one of these stores?
When you purchase plants from these stores you are not at all supporting your local economy, but instead you are supporting the stockholders of that corporation and the main office in Atlanta.
Your local native plant nursery, on the other hand, is owned by a passionate lover of the plants that will be the stars of your garden. These people will be your absolute best source of information for the plants that are best suited to your garden conditions. You will be purchasing plants that are already adapted to your garden. You will not have to baby them. And the plants have not been trucked all over the country. This is a total win-win.
My friend Miriam is a passionate advocate for native plants, wildlife habitat, and lawn alternatives, and she owns a wonderful native plant nursery, Wildflower Farm. You can be sure I’d get more accurate information from her than I would at any big box store. And spending money here (if this nursery is local to you) would mean that your money would stay in your community, to support your friends and neighbors.
Another great local source of native plants are the nature centers in your area. These organizations often host native plant sales in the spring, and often in the fall, too. By shopping at these sales you not only support the wonderful work for conservation these organizations do, you are also choosing to keep your dollars local. And again, you will get plants that are most appropriate for your wildlife garden.
My team member from Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens, Vincent Vizachero, conducts an annual native plant sale to encourage more use of native plants and to create welcoming habitat for the wildlife of his area. He’s devoted and knowledgeable, and totally NOT a surly teenager 
Your final source of native plants for your area is your local native plant society. Every state has these, and many states have chapters for every county or region in the state. Your native plant society will be a great place to meet other wildlife gardeners and ask questions about best practices with the plants that will thrive in your garden.
Native plant societies usually have regularly scheduled meetings with educational speakers as well as field trips and garden tours. You can learn so much by attending these events and talking with other like-minded people.
Fellow Wildlife Garden team member and friend, Loret Setters is very involved in the work of the Florida Native Plant Society, and her local chapter the Pine Lily Chapter. She is an amazing fount of information and is always ready to assist anyone with questions. Check out her latest newsletter, she’s awesome
The point is there are amazing people like this all over the country. Take the time right now to Google native plant nurseries, native plant societies, and nature centers for your area. Bookmark those pages. And make a point to support them. Next spring when you’re in a plant buying mood, do your shopping there. In the meantime, start attending the meetings for your local native plant society.
Become a native plant locavore!
© 2011, Carole Sevilla Brown. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Carole Sevilla Brown
Brilliantly put. Also, when giving donations of food to local food banks, purchase as much certified organic items as you can and support two causes at once, not to mention sharing health and good taste!
And thanks so much for sharing such beautiful pictures.
Susan, and if that organic food comes from a local farmer, even more of a win
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..Dance of Joy
Carol, I couldn’t agree with you more, except that I celebrate Buy Nothing Day the Friday after T’giving. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Nothing_Day.
But I really like going to local nurseries, and I’ve never in my life bought a plant a Home Depot. Of course, I also like to propagate and that cuts down on costs and carbon footprint as well. Great post!
Town Mouse, I’m with you I don’t even leave my house on Black Friday! That’s just way too much craziness for me
I love that you are propagating your own plants! When I divide my perennials I hand some out to all of my neighbors. That’s my stealth method of getting more native plants into my neighborhood 
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..Gentle Visitors
Great post Carole and now that I am a member of our local Native Plant Society I can reap the benefits of buying more natives local. I will have to check with my nature center to see if they do a plant sale…great to get one going if they don’t
Donna Donabella recently posted..Frosty November Blooms
Donna, many native plant societies and nature centers have plant sales at least every spring. Your native plant society probably has a list of local sales as well as native plant nurseries.
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..Dance of Joy
Maybe those teenagers wouldn’t be so surly if they knew they were selling plants that helped the environment.
But will the big-box stores ever really put eco before profits? Only if we force them to do it.
Or if being pro-eco means more profits for them.
Money is always the primary issue it seems. That’s why I choose to vote with my dollars. If we don’t support these small businesses they won’t be able to continue providing such excellent service. And I really mean no harm to any employee of Home Depot
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..Gentle Visitors
Hear! Hear!
Ellen Sousa recently posted..The Year I Shall Win the Pachysandra War
I just love when my choir stops by
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..Shop Small, Shop Local
I totally agree with you. Native plants from a local nursery are good for so many reasons. Had to laugh when you mentioned the “surly teenager” in plant section of the Big Box stores. Been there. Experienced that. Local always best.
Kathryn Grace recently posted..Easy Green Steps: Clean your refigerator coils
It’s wonderful when you find a native plant nursery that grows all its own plants. There you have nice local natives that will adapt beautifully to your garden~
Kathy @nativegardener recently posted..As Autumn Leaves Fly
Brava! Brava! This goes for all sorts of small businesses . . . including book stores. ;>)
GRRRRREAT Article Carole, and special thanks for the shoutout using the Florida Native Plant Society (and me) as an example of a great type of organization to join. SHOP LOCAL, not CHAIN STORE!
Loret recently posted..Pond Prank
The people who made these possible are amazing and inspiring. I know many will support them. I am definitely going to be a member and someday acquire as much native plants as I can. Thank you for sharing.
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