Last weekend was our annual native plant sale, run by my local Wild Ones chapter and selling plants from a half dozen local growers. Every year it’s a massive undertaking that leaves us exhausted, but it’s also one of the best things in my year. Our community here in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan is highly motivated to put natives in our gardens, and it’s a joy to spend time talking with customers at the sale. In the past few years we’ve seen massive increases in our sales, going from 2,000 plants to 3,000 the next year, and then 5,500 this year. When I think of that many native plants going out into our community, my heart swells with happiness that I’m able to be a part of it all.

There’s definitely momentum building in the native plant movement across the country, but we still have a long way to go in terms of educating people about how native gardening is different from the traditional European-inspired gardening that was brought to our shores by the settlers a few hundred years ago. One of the primary differences is in the idea of who we’re gardening for. Most of us garden selfishly. We choose plants that are pretty, or that smell nice, regardless of whether they provide resources for pollinators. We pull out a bottle of insecticide the moment we see that something has had the audacity to eat the leaves on our pretty plants. Isn’t it time we stopped gardening just for humans and started planting for insects and birds too? The goal of native gardening is to provide plants that insects will eat; anytime I see that someone has been nibbling on my plants, I smile. It’s working.

In contrast, I see far less evidence of insects feeding on the leaves of my non-native plants like peonies and hydrangeas, and that’s disappointing. But I do see bees and wasps using them for nectar and/or pollen, so they’re not totally useless, I suppose. Some of these decisions are tough because emotions are wrapped up in our gardening choices. I have a couple peonies because they remind me of my grandma, and I have some non-native hydrangeas because I needed shrubs that were already of a decent size for my front yard. Until more large nurseries start offering them, it’s hard to find native shrubs that are more than just a couple twigs that will take years to fill out. So I make compromises.

And what about our lawns, those remnant status symbols established by the British when they colonized this nation? Are we going to continue the wasteful nurturing of those resource-intensive patches that don’t support life, or can we let go of that outdated idea and begin replacing manicured lawns with plants that actually support the food web? Wouldn’t you love to mow less — or not at all? I know this is a tough one, as the idea of a “perfect” lawn is deeply ingrained in our society’s collective psyche and it’s hard to go against what’s been socially accepted for so long. What will the neighbors think, right? But every little bit we can do is a step in the right direction, and maybe we can influence our neighbors by modeling better gardening practices. I haven’t yet been able to replace lawn in front of my house, but I’m slowly carving more of it out of my back yard each year. If time and money were no object, I’d have someone come and remove all of my lawn and put in lots more garden beds with mossy paths winding through them. And benches in little alcoves. And a pond. #GardenFantasies

In light of the dire declines in insect populations worldwide, it’s urgent that we all learn to see gardens from more than just a human perspective. Our gardens need to be part of the food web to help our essential insects rebound. And so in my native garden, I’m trying to garden for the insects more than for myself. Most of my plant choices are things that serve as host plants for specific species of insects, because those insects are an important food source for other wildlife. The more insects I can support with my plants, the easier it will be for birds to raise their babies here. I think I’ve mentioned before that one brood of baby birds needs to be fed thousands of insects just to survive their nesting period. If the parents can’t find enough insects in a reasonable proximity to their nest, they can’t successfully feed those babies. So remember, native plants are also for the birds!

Speaking of insects using plants, look at this neat discovery I made the other day. I noticed some curled leaves on one of my serviceberry bushes (Amelanchier canadensis). Upon investigation, I found that each leaf contained a quantity of what I think is a type of woolly aphid. I’ve seen these aphids before and they usually aren’t a threat to the shrub beyond some slight leaf damage. But the best part was another leaf that was full of tiny crystal balls. I was puzzled by it, and figured it must have something to do with the aphids. When I got time to do some research, I found that these aphids have a way of containing their excrement (or honeydew) in little balls to keep their living area cleaner. These are aphid pee balls!

It’s things like this that make me excited to explore the garden because I feel like a kid again, curious about everything and thirsty to learn. Plants and bugs have become a fascinating part of my life, and my yard is a free source of endless discovery and joy. Why not go out and see who you can find living in your garden habitat today?

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If you want to understand the benefits of native plants more thoroughly, I highly recommend Doug Tallamy’s book, Bringing Nature Home.