When it comes to increasing the value and beauty of your home, landscaping is one of the best, and often-overlooked investments. A well-designed landscape enhances curb appeal, improves property value and creates a welcoming outdoor space. But not all landscaping is created equal – choosing native plants is a strategic and sustainable way to maximize your investment. Native plants are naturally adapted to the local climate and soil, making them easier to maintain, more resilient to pests, and better for the surrounding environment.
According to local WinterCreek Nursery manager Ben Snyder, “When we talk about native plants, we are referring to the plant communities that naturally evolved in some certain specific area and were not introduced by any kind of human activity. This means these native plants have coexisted with the animals, fungi, soils and weather patterns in their native region for thousands or even millions of years and thrive in balanced ecological harmony with those forces.”
“Generally, native species are those that were here pre-European settlement, so around the 1600’s,” explains Lisa Sanco, Worthy Garden Club Executive Director. “But people can have varying definitions of what is native to a particular region. Everything is changing so rapidly in our ecosystems; our climate and growing zones are shifting. Some non-native species thrive here and are beneficial to our ecosystems but have not been here since the 1600’s… California poppies are a great example.”
Worthy Garden Club is a 501(c)3 organization founded by the owner of Worthy Brewing in 2015 to help provide environmental education in Central Oregon. With a mission of “connecting people to the natural world and cultivating a community of environmental stewards working together to build a greener and healthier planet through advocacy, action and education,” Worthy Garden Club operates the Hopservatory, along with a small-scale regenerative farm and native plant gardens at Worthy Brewing’s eastside location.
“Our Worthy Garden Club Campus is a classroom of sorts, where we offer hands-on learning, classes, weekly weeding events, pollinator walks and host school visits,” explains Sanco. “Some of our seasonal classes include food growing, native plant care and seed saving. There is a huge demand for native plant landscaping classes, and we are excited to teach people, mostly homeowners and renters, how to live a little more sustainably on the High Desert.”
With approximately 3,000 square feet of growing space complete with a propagation greenhouse and small chicken coop, the Worthy Garden Club “farm” is visible from the parking lot at the eastside Worthy Brewing Pub. “It’s an interesting venue and people are drawn to the gardens when they come here. We welcome visitors at our campus and invite them in to take a walk and ask questions,” Sanco states. Food grown at Worthy Campus is used in the pub or donated to organizations like High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA). And, there are plans to host a farmers’ market at Worthy Brewing this summer.
In many places, including Bend, interest is growing in sustainable gardening practices and native vegetation. Driven with a desire to use less water and attract beneficial insects, homeowners are seeking educational opportunities and resources in their community. According to Snyder, “So much of the High Desert has been greatly impacted by human development and grazing activity – to keep this special and ecologically sensitive region healthy, it’s important that we all start giving just a little bit back to nature in the little ways that we can. Why not help the birds, bees, butterflies and other special creatures of Central Oregon while also enjoying the beauty and water-wise benefits of our native plants in our own backyards?”
If you are interested in getting started with your own native plant garden, it’s important to thoroughly evaluate your property, front, back and sides. Even narrow corridors can serve as the perfect location for native plants, replacing ornamentals that have high-water requirements with appropriate native plants that might only require drip irrigation. “What to plant and where depends on so many factors,” Sanco says. “And gardening here can be challenging. Some skills just have to be learned by doing, so I always tell people to start small and learn as you go. It can take time to hone in on what works for your space.”
When it comes to finding native plants locally, there are several nurseries that specialize in these plant options. One such nursery, WinterCreek Nursery, sells hundreds of native plant species – from penstemons to pine trees – that they grow right on their property from local seeds sources. “We have a very knowledgeable and caring staff that are always happy to answer any native plant questions and help customers plan out their projects,” states Snyder. Many other local nurseries also offer native plant options.
“Growing native plants helps improve the soil health and provides natural habitat for insects, birds and other animals,” explains Sanco. Part of native landscaping is to consider our pollinators. Without them, we cannot produce food or survive. “If you do the native plant garden, you also have to honor the maintenance practices that keep our beneficial insects and critters intact. Save the stems, leave the leaves, plant in big blocks of color.” Sanco explains that many insects do not have good eyesight or see color in different ways, so larger swaths of color make the plants more visible to increase their foraging efficiency.
According to the Worthy Garden Club resource, Attracting Beneficial Bugs, “lean heavily on native plants, but don’t be afraid to sprinkle in some choice annuals like sunflowers and sweet alyssum for extra foraging potential.” This will fill in the bloom gap that occurs with some native plant species. And, don’t forget to provide a consistent, shallow, clean water source for beneficial insects in your garden.
In addition to the classes at their onsite garden, Worthy Garden Club also manages Franklin’s Corner Community Garden and often partners with Pollinator Pathway Bend to help install pollinator gardens at schools, city properties and parks around town. WinterCreek Nursery also offers classes and events, including the upcoming June 21 first annual High Desert Horticultural Center Native Plant Garden Tour. WinterCreek is also a constituent element to the new High Desert Horticultural Center – “a new nonprofit created to increase appreciation and understanding of native plants, to facilitate research on resource conservation and the values of biodiversity in urban environments, and to provide opportunities for the public, industry professionals and future restoration practitioners to become leaders in the rapidly growing fields of regenerative landscaping in the High Desert.”
“When it comes to incorporating native plants into your landscape, it can be a switch in aesthetics, but once someone understands the ecological aspect and benefits of native plants, it makes them so much more interesting and exciting than conventional plants,” emphasizes Sanco. “And it really does give you a genuine sense of place.”
WorthyGardenClub.org
HighDesertHorticulturalcenter.org
“Growing native plants helps improve the soil health and provides natural habitat for insects, birds and other animals."
—Lisa Sanco, Worthy Garden Club Executive Director