Two years ago we completed a makeover of a residential property in Franklin Lakes. A septic issue mandated removal of a large portion of the front yard area, the resodding of the lawn area and the implementation of a native plantings within the new beds. The layout of the property provided a long expansive full sun bed that flowed into a wooded shady bed that arced to the rear of the property. It was along this fence line in the full sun that we planted Echinacea Purple Coneflower and Monarda Fistulosa Bee Balm in masses along with other native plants. The result (as seen above) is a spectacular showcase of Mother Nature’s Splendor through the implementation of native perennial companion plants. As can be seen below, the original perennial planting filled this bed nicely with native pollinator plants.

As with any form of companion planting, doing so with native plants focuses on the idea of beneficial diversity in a sustainable garden. There are numerous benefits native plant companions can provide:

Preventing diseases through diversity is of immense benefit. In a monoculture, where many of the same type of plants are planted together, pests can easily spread from one plant to the next. Mixing with companion plants can interrupt this cycle of spread.

The benefits are realized when companion plants provide a desirable environment for beneficial insects and other arthropods such as predatory beetles and parasitic wasp species. These beneficial insects can help keep pest populations under control, they help in repelling insects, pathogenic fungi and nematodes through the release of chemicals. Plants that produce copious nectar or pollen can attract larger quantities of beneficial insects that control  pests and increase yield. It is important to avoid planting together plants that are susceptible to the same insect species or diseases.

We chose to plant these native perennials because of their compatibility with each other. Both have almost identical growing requirements as per soil mediums, watering and sunlight requirements, their drought tolerance and the close CaCO3 Tolerances they share. Calcium carbonate is an important trace element for plants. It can help the soil convert nutrients into a more usable form. Upon providing them with an excellent organic growing medium, we then implemented a fertilization schedule utilizing our own Compost Tea. Compost tea is a fantastic way to protect plants with a cover of beneficial microorganisms and feed the roots as an organic fertilizer. Compost tea is a mixture of nutrients and oxygen-loving (aerobic) bacteria, fungi, nematodes and other microbes that live in finished compost. For more information about our compost tea we have provided a link below.

Need some help implementing or getting started with organic lawn and gardening? Give us a shout and we can help you. At Lincoln Landscaping cultivating the environment is our life and livelihood. It is our number one goal to help our clients create and maintain beautiful landscapes while reducing the impact on the environment. Whether you are interested in a pollinator landscape garden design and build or other landscaping or property management project; we can create for you an environmentally friendly, organic and beautiful property.

Together with you, we create sustainable Eco-Systems. As the Navajo Indians would say “Yua Tah Hey”

More excellent choices for learning about Sustainability are available on our “food for thought” page.