(by 14 people)
Lest you think the title of this lens is a cheap attempt to attact hits, it refers to The Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver, and is not about gardening in the nude any more than Jamie Oliver cooks in the nude. In this sense, "naked" means simple and natural. Not that there is anything wrong with gardening in the nude. But I wouldn't recommend it.
I recently discovered the wonders of planting native species. I am amazed at the variety of wildlife that is now attracted to my garden, from butterflies to hummingbirds and turtles.
This lens will list resources, books, and landscapers that will help you "go native" in your backyard (and front yard, too).
Gifts for the Naked Gardener: Books
The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $15.00
Used Price: $4.94
Second Nature: A Gardener's Education
Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $14.00
Used Price: $4.95
The Echoing Green: The Garden in Myth and Memory
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $13.95
Used Price: $0.01
Online Resources
- eNature.com
- Native Gardening and Invasive Plants Guides provided by the National Wildlife Federation.
You can search by state for natives plants for your area. Very thorough. - Celebrating Wildflowers - Native Gardening
- Celebrating Wildflowers is a season-long program providing a wide array of wild plant related events for people of all ages who are interested in viewing, smelling, learning about, photographing, conserving and enjoying the beauty of native plants.
- NSiS: Florida Gardening with Native Plants
- An introduction to gardening with Florida native plants and lists of plants for bird and butterfly gardening.
- Go for Green - Gardening for Life Program
- Gardening for Life contains articles and information on gardening and how it can improve the physical health of the gardener and the environment.
- Native Gardening
- National Parks Conservation Association
- California Native Plant Society - San Diego
- Learn more about California's native flora, and meet people who share your interest in native plants. The San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society is part of a statewide nonprofit organization seeking to increase understanding and appreciation of California's native plants.
- Wild Ones
- A Wisconsin-based native gardening non-profit organisation.
- Invasive Plant list
- Otherwise known as...weeds. This is a great resource, with pictures and lots of information. This will help you distinguish a beneficial wildflower from an exotic (non-native, imported) plant. This is important because these plants often crowd out the native plants.
- Audubon's Invitation to a healthy yard
- Learn how to attract birds, bats, and butterflies to your yard.
- New England Wild Flower Society
- The New England Wild Flower Society is the oldest plant conservation organization in the U.S., promoting conservation of North American native plants through education, research, horticulture and the production and sale of native plants and seeds, habitat preservation, and advocacy.
- Native Seed Network
- The Native Seed Network is a resource for both the restoration community and the native seed industry, providing powerful search tools and information on all aspects of native seed.
Books on Gardening with Native Plants
Here are five I have found useful
Armitage's Native Plants for North American Gardens
Amazon Price: $32.97 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $49.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Native Plant Primer, The: Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers for Natural Gardens
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $50.00
Wildflowers, (The New England Wild Flower Society)
Amazon Price: $26.40 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $40.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
The Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $22.00
Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines: A Guide to Using, Growing, and Propagating North American Woody Plants
Amazon Price: $26.40 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $40.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
Native Plant Books by Region: Florida
Native Florida Plants, Revised Edition: Low Maintenance Landscaping and Gardening
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $29.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Florida Landscape Plants: Native and Exotic, second revised edition
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $19.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Florida's Best Native Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals
Amazon Price: $34.25 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $34.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Wild Love Affair: Essence of Florida's Native Orchids
Amazon Price: $30.08 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $40.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants
Amazon Price: $26.41 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $26.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Native Plant books by region: Northeast
Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation
Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $39.95
Used Price: $21.84
Usually ships in 24 hours
Thoreau's Garden: Native Plants for the American Landscape
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $15.95
Used Price: $1.71
Native Plant Books by Region: West
Native Treasures: Gardening With the Plants of California (Phyllis M. Faber Books)
Amazon Price: $19.67 (as of 10/07/2008)
Native Landscaping From El Paso to L.A.
Amazon Price: $22.95 (as of 10/07/2008)
Wild Plants of the Pueblo Province: Exploring Ancient and Enduring Uses
Amazon Price: $18.00 (as of 10/07/2008)
Wildflowers of California
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 10/07/2008)
Grow Native: Landscaping with Native and Apt Plants of the Rocky Mountains
Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 10/07/2008)
Binoculars
Once those birds start flocking to your garden...
Audubon 4200 Pocket Binoculars 8x22
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $54.95
Bushnell NatureView 10x50 Backyard Birder Spotting Scope w/TableTop Tripod
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price:
Night Owl Explorer Pro 5x Night Vision Scope w/I/R Illuminator
Amazon Price: $189.00 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $450.00
Audubon Kids - Binoculars 4 x 30
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price:
Meade CaptureView 8X42 2MP Digital Camera Binocular with LCD Screen
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $199.00
Ordering Seeds and Plants Online
- Seed Savers
- I just love browsing the Seed Savers catalog and their website is really a joy as well. They specialize in hierloom variety vegetables, but they also have a nice selection of native wildflowers and other plants.
- Native Seeds/SEARCH
- Native seeds and handicrafts
- Native American Seed - Wildflower and Native Prairie Grass Seeds
- Specializing in native wildflower seeds and grasses from the Texas-Oklahoma-Louisiana region.
- Native prairie plants and seeds
- Suppliers of native plants and seeds for prairie restoration, natural landscaping, and wildflower gardens
- Larner Seeds
- Larner Seeds supplies seeds and plants of California native wildflowers, bunchgrasses, shrubs, vines, and trees, as well as relevant books, new and rare, design consultation, restoration garden tools, native-plant related gift items.
- Koala Native Plants
- An Australian native plant nursery
- Wildflower Farm
- Wildflowers and Wild flower seed mixes
- American Meadows - Wildflower Seed Mixtures
- Leading wildflower seed site with mixtures for North America. Plus 70 Species Encyclopedia with photos and how-to info.
- Prairie Moon Nursery
- Native plants and seeds for wetland, prairie savanna and woodland.
- High Country Gardens
- Source for drought tolerant, xeriscape water-wise, perennial plants and gardening supplies. Includes a region specific plant finder.
- Western Native Seed
- Western Native Seed - Native Plant Seed for the Rocky Mountains and Western Great Plains
- Everwilde Farms, Inc.
- A grower and seller of 100+ species of native midwest prairie wildflower seeds
Native Plant Seeds on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Pete Muroski of Native Landscapes
On the Radio: The Living Landscape Journal
Tune in to Sirius Channel 114 Lime Radio at various times throughout the day for tips on ecological landscaping & common sense gardening.Or you can check out the website:
http://www.thelivinglandscapejournal.com
I am fortunate enough to live in the town of Pawling, home to Pete Muroski and "Native Landscapes." He did a great job on my front and backyard!
Landscapers with a speciality in native species
- Native Landscapes
- Native Landscapes is a design / build landscaping company engaged principally in residential and commercial landscaping in Southeastern New York and Western Connecticut.
- Blue Thumb | Rice Creek Watershed District
- The Blue Thumb program will help you create plantings and gardens that look beautiful and work to keep water clean.
A very nice, regional Minnesota-based site. - Association of Florida Native Nurseries
- Here you can find retail or wholesale sellers for specific native plants.
- Wildflower Farm Landscaping & Consulting
- Wildflower Farm offers complete design, installation and consultation services for wildflower meadows and prairies in Southern & Central Ontario.
- Yellow Springs Farm | Native Plant Nursery
- Springs Farm Native Plant Nursery is located in Chester Springs,
Pennsylvania on what used to be a dairy farm 150 years ago. - JFNew
- A mid-western company with a native plant nursery. Also provides: habitat restorationand ecological consulting.
- Las Pilitas
- A California native plant nursery with information about birds, wildlife, butterflies, hummingbirds, nursery, native, plants, gardening and landscaping.
Your Lawn
Creating a low-maintenance lawn
- Wildflower Farm Inc. Eco-Lawn
- A low-maintenance lawn from Wildflower farm in Ontario.
- Savatree.com
- SavATree provides environmentally sensible tree service and lawn care to homeowners as well as residential, commercial, institutional, government and historic properties in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
- Eartheasy.com
- Eartheasy is a website about sustainable living with sections on growing food, recipes, and clothing among others. This section deals with organic lawns and gardens.
- Organic lawn care tips
- This site explains everything you need to know about having a natural healthy lawn from lawnmowers to composting and watering.
The Naked Swimming Pool
It won't do to have a chlorine-blue pool surrounded by your native plants
- Total Habitat
- Natural swimming pools, swimming ponds, naturalistic swimming pools, chemical free swimming pools.
- Ecodesignscape
- Michael Littlewood - international consultant for sustainable landscape design, specialist in natural swimming pools, gardening books, charts and calendars
- Expanding Horizons
- Located in Vista CA, Expanding Horizons has emerged as San Diego County's premier designer and builder of Water Gardens and Botanical Parks.
Birdbaths
Birds need a source of water as much as food
Solar Birdbath Fountain
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $149.99
Used Price:
Butterfly Birdbath and Pedestal -Green
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price:
Used Price:
Hanging Dragonfly Birdbath Rust
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price:
Used Price:
Loon Sundial Birdbath
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price:
Used Price:
Great Stuff on CafePress
Comments, etc
Please tell me what you think
Are you a landscaper? Have a comment or question? Let me hear from you.
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trishafly
Charming lense. Thanks for sharing! Posted October 09, 2007 |
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suzifranks
LOL!!! I LOVE this lens..:) Posted June 23, 2007 |
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Graceonline
Wonderful lens! I highly recommend The Wild Lawn Handbook in your Amazon list above. I can't wait to come back and visit more links. Hope you'll share some of your personal experiences gardening with native plants--maybe some pix of the butterflies and wildlife you've attracted. Posted June 12, 2007 |
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SPF
I like the Loon Sundial Birdbath you have listed. It's really pretty. Great lens! Posted May 15, 2007 |
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ank
Hi Lisa_Kelsey , great lens . I really enjoyed articles on it. However , i have also created my lens check out Posted May 15, 2007 |
