There isn’t merely one style of natural garden from which to choose. For some people, the ideal natural garden may be a riot of flowers; for others, it’s strictly native plantings; or perhaps it’s a natural habitat for birds and butterflies; and lastly, maybe it’s a green selection of shrubs, grasses, and trees. Or even better yet, you could have your natural garden be all of these things.

Natural gardens have four things in common:

They are alive with insect and bird activity, with maybe even a few amphibians and reptiles.

They respect Earth’s resources, especially water. Compost and garden litter cut down on the use of chemical controls while allowing water to soak in, thus conserving the usage and preserving the health of your garden.

They are appropriate to the region because the plantings adapt to the climate, the soil, and available sunlight.

They teach us to plant with the cycle of the seasons; they teach us to recognize that all living creatures and plants are connected, that our gardens are complex systems that need to work together to keep us and the land healthy.

How does one create a natural garden? First, you need to match the plants with your site. Study your garden and determine if you have places were frost lingers, where the winds might blow a little harder, if hail might be a problem, where snow might drift, where water might settle and create a boggy area, where sunlight might not be as plentiful. By studying all this you’ll avoid making costly mistakes and assure success with your plantings. Secondly, plant in tiers, or layers – low plantings in the front, taller ones in the background. You can create tree canopies to shelter shade loving plants, or you can create windbreaks with appropriate trees and shrubs. Don’t manicure your plants, but instead let them sprawl as Nature intended and pretty soon you’ll have wonderful critters sharing your garden too.

Be sure and choose diverse plantings - ones that produce seeds and nectars, shelters for the birds and small animals, and habitat for beneficial insects. Learn to distinguish beneficial insects from the destructive ones. By creating good bird habitat you’ll engage a friendly army to help you keep down destruction in your garden. Lastly, learn from Nature and recycle plant materials such as leaves, branches, and even manmade materials such as concrete chunks, old fence parts, etc. These make great places of interest among your plantings.

Native Planting Choices for the Palouse Region
Here are a few choices of native plantings for you to think about:

Shrubs and Trees
White fir, Colorado spruce, pines, lanceleaf cottonwoods, quaking aspen, wild plum, Douglas fir, Rocky Mountain maple, Big sagebrush, tobacco brush, mountain mahogany, redtwig dogwood, western hazelnut, silverberry, apache plume, rock spirea, junipers, wild mock orange, western sand cherry, Rocky Mountain white oak, golden currant, desert locust, thimbleberry, buffaloberry, and coral berry.

Ground Covers and Vines
Pussy toes, kinnikinnick, clematis, creeping mahonia, and zinnias.

Perennials
Rocky Mountain columbine, bluebells, sulfur flower, prairie smoke, blackfoot daisy, bee balm, Mexican and white evening primrose, penstemons, and Mexican hat.

Plants that Attract Butterflies (including Larvae) and Hummingbirds
Hollyhock, snapdragon, aster, bleeding heart, common foxglove, common fennel, sunflowers, lupine, penstemons, speedwell, wisteria, wild buckwheat, mallows, currants, spiraea, yarrow, columbines, borage, Shasta daisy, cosmos, delphinium, purple coneflower, globe thistle, sea holly, gaillardias, sweet peas, lobelia, bee balm, oregano, phlox, sage, scabiosas, marigolds, lavenders, flowering quince, and honeysuckle.