Cone flowers, bee balm, and lavender are super easy, mega pollinator attractors.

Montgomery County hosts native plant sales in the spring and fall at reasonable prices!

https://montgomeryparks.org/plant-sales/

There are tons of native plant groups who will help you.

Just be aware the planting native plants is the fun part. The not fun part is that invasive weeds will outcompete them unless you’re diligent about weeding.

The other thing to keep in mind if you’re new to gardening and being hospitable to bugs is important to you is that herbaceous perennials have a period of decline after they bloom. You can plant a variety of things so you have something blooming most of the time, but you’ll also have to accept that the monarda will get mildew after it flowers and the coneflowers will turn black etc etc. If it’s important to you that things stay tidy, you should emphasize shrubs and other woody plants. If you can find them, it’s helpful to look at photos of plants in all seasons instead of just the ones they use to sell the plants.

A good thing is even if your garden is weedy, you’ll have tons of bugs and birds. They like things messy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Walk through your neighborhood and see what your neighbors have going on. My neighbor grows creeping phlox, yarrow, virginia bluebells, green and gold, paw paw, ground nuts, asters, blackberries, and a bunch of other natives and she gave me cuttings and pants so I could start my own garden for free.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people, including gardeners, use non-native species, including invasives. You are fortunate to have a neighbor who is using natives, and happy to share.

I think she shares so much with the neighbors because she wants everyone to grow natives. Her yard is a certified pollinator garden and bird habitat.

Anonymous wrote:Walk through your neighborhood and see what your neighbors have going on. My neighbor grows creeping phlox, yarrow, virginia bluebells, green and gold, paw paw, ground nuts, asters, blackberries, and a bunch of other natives and she gave me cuttings and pants so I could start my own garden for free.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people, including gardeners, use non-native species, including invasives. You are fortunate to have a neighbor who is using natives, and happy to share.

Walk through your neighborhood and see what your neighbors have going on. My neighbor grows creeping phlox, yarrow, virginia bluebells, green and gold, paw paw, ground nuts, asters, blackberries, and a bunch of other natives and she gave me cuttings and pants so I could start my own garden for free.

Anonymous wrote:I know there are a lot of MD/VA "native gardening" FB groups which is a great resource as well.

I use these Facebook groups as well!

Potomac Garden Center does a great job of stocking natives and pollinators and identifying them as such.

You can also reach out to your local master naturalists (not master gardeners). They are generally a wealth of information about native plants that are local to you, and will thrive in your growing conditions.

I know there are a lot of MD/VA "native gardening" FB groups which is a great resource as well.

The MD Extension has great articles: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/recommended-native-plants-maryland/

Also the MD Native Plant Society : https://mdflora.org/nurseries.html

MoCo has several wonderful gardens to visit:

Brookside Gardens: https://montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens/

Woodend Sanctuary: https://woodendsanctuary.org

U.S. Botanical Gardens in DC have well labelled outdoor areas dedicated to native plants by U.S. Region. https://www.usbg.gov/plant-collections

Great resource for plants: https://archewild.com/nursery/native-species-availability/

http://chesapeakenatives.org

Anonymous wrote:That's great, OP! What county in Maryland?

MoCo.

That's great, OP! What county in Maryland?

There is likely a local horticultural group that would have great info about this! Google your town + horticultural and see what comes up.

I love seeing native gardens full of bees and butterflies.

We will be moving into a new house shortly and I have a blank slate for planting. I would like to attract birds, bees, butterflies and moths with as many native plants as possible. Are there any local classes, groups or demonstration gardens to get ideas? Thanks for any tips!