Viv’s Groovy Garden
Native Perennials and Pollinators
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – When we first started producing weekly Viv’s Groovy Garden segments, my partner in gardening fun was Scott Moon from Sargent’s Gardens in Rochester, MN. Recently, Scott and I did an encore performance! The topic: native perennials and pollinators. Boy, did we have a blast!
Every time I work with Scott, I laugh a lot while learning a ton. He’s full of plant knowledge and he filled me in on what native species are, how they’ve adapted to thrive in our environment, and why they’re important - especially when it comes to supporting pollinators.
“The big thing about native plants,” says Scott, “is that they are tried and true to this specific area.”
Benefits of choosing native plants include:
- Hardy root system
- Drought tolerant
- Produce many flowers
- Low maintenance
- Rabbits and deer usually don’t eat them
- Provide habitat for wildlife
- Support pollinators, such as bees and butterflies
Some of Scott’s favorite native plants are:
- Cone flowers
- Dianthus
- Catmint
- Milkweed
- Butterfly plant
- Coreopsis
- Veronica
- Beebalm
If you have questions about how to incorporate native plants and pollinators in your yard or landscape, shoot me an email at vwilliams@kttc.com. Go get your fingers dirty!
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