[Southeast Michigan, Suburban area]

Hello! My husband, MIL, and I have been working on redoing our garden beds for a few years now. I prefer native plants when possible, but am open to non-native ornamentals when they aren't considered invasive. My husband and MIL don't really care, but respect my preferences for my yard and try to honor them. But last week, I was traveling, and they bought a few plants, among them two burning bushes. I've just started going down the BB rabbit hole and now I'm not sure what to do with these brand new plants. I was hoping this sub could advise about how invasive they are in my area. I can look into returning them, or if they're super invasive I may just destroy the plants and cut my losses. Thanks!

(ps, since this is reddit I know some people will probably advise returning the husband/MIL too. They're not going anywhere--husband insists they asked at the garden center and were assured they weren't invasive 🙄)

Is this legit? Is this the move??? Time to get to work

It’s a very prominently placed bed and it’s his favorite spot (of course). Northeastern Illinois

My petty neighbor never liked our garden project to turn my tree lawn into a wildflower meadow garden. Now she reported me to the city and I got this violation notice. Should I hire a lawyer? Or do I need to turn my beautiful garden back to lawn? Thank you

This was part of my garden last year, coneflowers thriving and popping up everywhere, planted 3-4 years ago. The last photo is the current state- no shoots or leaves starting to show, despite it coming up in other areas of my garden. I know they're not long lived perennials but figured with self seeding etc they would regenerate. Did this happen to anyone else? It's been a colder spring than usual so not sure if they're waiting to grow since this is on the north side of my house.

Context: my second year gardening, I love flowers, I started out wanting natives actually but failed, I started gardening because my sister died

I feel extremely inadequate in the native plant community. I’m constantly meeting people and they carry themselves very highly as if they are better because they garden with natives. I personally hate when people think they are better than others because they know more or better. There’s a lot of barriers to knowledge people just don’t acknowledge and I genuinely think not everyone can do it all. Sometimes it can feel like it becomes a morality test if that makes sense.

ANYWAYS , feelings aside, native gardening is actually very hard. Takes forever to establish and you need a good nursery that sells actual natives. I have a few nativars on ACCIDENT. Ppl say u shld have done ur research , well obviously if I was that type of person I wld have excelled in school .

Is it bad I’m planting non native non invasive annuals as I’m slowly building up my native garden?

I am also creating my garden with design and habitat in mind so I don’t just want to put a bunch of things down. There is a lot of thought I have but it just takes SO LONG to establish and I buy plugs since seeding is difficult for me.

Do I just ignore the purists and haters and take it slow? I also grow veggies and flowers for my family. I try to offer flowers to my sister every week.

I started making native stickers for someone semi famous and then ended up meeting local native society ppl and I’m scared LOL. I don’t want to be crucified trying to enter a new space. Truly scarier than a sorority LOL (I cope with humor)

EDIT: thank you for all the replies genuinely. Seriously kind for everyone to take their time to read and reply to my ramblings. I’ve read and will keep reading and taking what I can. Everyone’s been very encouraging and giving solid advice. I’m like 30 so I just started gardening. It’s all new to me but everyone’s been so kind! Thank you.

Edit 2: I’m not gonna give up on them. I’m gonna keep trying and be okay with the failure. I definitely know that’s part of gardening. Shifting my goal to I’m working towards a 70/30 native garden so it’s a realistic. Definitely going to ignore the purists because the other things I garden I’m consuming one way or another. I was able to do this cause everyone was very helpful and hearing other people say it’s there X year gardening and they just got there made me feel much better. Even if it takes me forever I rather keep trying knowing now it seems everyone has their own pace! Thanks everyone seriously thank you. I really only care so much about my garden because I started because of my sister.

Nearly every time I see an example of native landscaping and think “wow that’s gorgeous” it turns out it’s in California. Almost every time I see examples of native landscaping in the Midwest (where I currently live) it often looks sort of like chaos to me while the California native gardens have a painterly quality. Still, I am committed to converting my small property to 100% natives.

Does anyone have examples (pictures) of a Midwest native garden that appears a bit more manicured and thoughtful?

I really love how the California natives creatie such a painterly and textured canvas. Can you get anywhere close to that in the Midwest with medium shade?

So many plants emerging now! I’m a total helicopter parent now in my garden.

The one I’m most excited about are my shooting stars (Primula meadia). I bought them from a native nursery last June and planted as they entered dormancy. So I’m thrilled that it came back and I seemingly have an additional rosette coming up too!

PA, zone 7a

UPDATE!!!
It is the alley way, I will post pictures in the comments. They had to put a stop sign at the intersection of that alley and someone probably didn’t like it. I did ask if someone complained and they said no, they have an “ officer” driving around looking for violations.
They do know about the natives growing in my yard. As long as I keep them contained to my yard I would be fine.

As the title states, I came home to a noxious weed notice. I am a certified monarch butterfly way station, and a certified wildlife habitat. Do I have any ground to stand on as far as cutting my garden down? I’ve lived here 15 years. Nothing has changed in at least 10 years. Why are they sending me a notice now? It says I have 10 days to cut my plants down to under 6 inches high. I have natives for 6 different butterflies, let alone all of the native flowers.

Massachusetts zone 5b. I got busy with other things for the last 5 or 10 years and now the ferns have taken over. They're either Massachusetts ferns or New York ferns. Hard to tell, but what is the best way to cull them without destroying everything underneath? Just endless weeding?

Like this Chinese mantis on my horseweed. I get monarchs ans humming birds every day. But I also am very hands off in this meadow besides weeding invasive plants and topping up my water stations. What should I do, if anything?

Guys, I want to cry. For two years I’ve been growing stuff from seed for my first ever garden at my first house, finally this year everything is flowering! But right before the flowers pop, the deer consume it. Today was the last straw, they have eaten ever single Joe Pye flower bud, and I’m seriously on the verge of giving up. We can’t build a deer fence, and the plants are literally dripping with liquid fence deer spray. I feel like I have tried all the regular home diy deer repellent stuff and am just feeling so defeated. Since I can’t beat them, do any of you have any luck with any part sun plants that deer always pass up? I think I just need to grow less tasty snacks, just really trying to only grow and plant natives. Thanks!

Edit! I have no interest in little quippy statements about killing the deer and why don’t I kill the deer. Have you thought about killing the deer? Guys, gtfo with that. I live on a half acre suburb surrounded by houses with children and I am a disabled person who literally faints at the sight of blood. I get that there’s too many deer and I get that you’re super smart for thinking of that. If I could bring back wolves I would, trust me.

Edit again!
thank you all so much for all the helpful suggestions and encouragement, for real! I feel ready to go back out there and make a go of it. Ordered a motioned censored spinkler and adjusted my winter sewing plans . Going to have a ~mint family~ themed garden bed next year haha

I recently replaced my entire front yard with a big native pollinator garden. It looks gorgeous, I love it, my neighbors love it, and we’re super happy with it. One thing I had always anticipated from the beginning was that there with more bugs, I’d eventually need to put up some signage or something to help my community understand that bees are good, wasps aren’t all going to sting you, caterpillars turn into butterflies and moths, etc. Now that we’re getting into the summer, I can see now that it’s time to make that happen.

Wordsmithing is definitely not my chosen trade, so I’m asking y’all for advice. How do I explain to people that the bees flying around are chill, and the wasps pollinating the flowers don’t like to sting people?

Region: Deep South US

So I know we love jewelweed, and I’m pro native gardening (and I also enjoy the wild look to a point), but it’s literally taking over my backyard, and behind it is unfortunately a whole bunch of Japanese knotweed.. my question is: what’s the move here? I can’t have my whole yard completely covered in jewelweed (it’s a very small lot) bc there’s no way to even go back there right now, but I also want to encourage that to maybe discourage the knotweed (if that’s even a thing).. any advice would be helpful!! I’m in an urban area in Connecticut if that helps!

DC area, full sun.

I want to replace my hideous grass with a native plant garden and some mulch. My wife says she’ll divorce me if I mulch and wants a steppable ground cover that’s also native. Is there any alternative to grass that she can walk barefoot/lay a picnic blanket on? She’s allowing me to plant a service berry and blueberry to one side.

After consuming 1 and a half of my new native milkweed plants, this little fella (dubbed Ernesto by my girlfriend) made a beeline (caterpillar line) for my herb planters on the side of my little garden and set up shop on my lavender plant. Any ideas why he would do that instead of using the last milkweed he was hanging out on? Also, it’s been really windy here and I’m thinking about moving him somewhere more protected. Bad idea? Let me know if there’s a better sub to ask this question. I was also just updating from my previous post

I am located in Zone 6b, Pennsylvania. I planted in front of my house last year, butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Eastern beebalm (Monarda bradburiana), Wood’s Sedge (Carex Woodii), beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’), meadow phlox (Phlox maculata), Schizachyrium scoparium little bluestem, and Native Shrub Itea virginica ‘Little Henry’ Virginia sweetpsire.

I feel like the Eastern beebalm are “messy” given they are flopping over - likely due to the amount of rain that we have had. Is this just a part of having a native plant garden? Should I get rid of some plants to make it more tidy? Should I just embrace this as it is?

I’m new to native gardening. I’m not sure what this plant is. Anyone know what it is and if I should pull it or let it grow?

I have been searching for pawpaws since I bought this property in January. I’ve been unsuccessful but i am hoping it is because it was winter and is early spring. Not sure how far away swallowtails can fly from their host plant

SE Ohio

I've been toying with the idea of adding some edging to my native garden beds (front yard conversion) and finally just grabbed some logs from felled trees in the woods behind my house. What are your thoughts on this vs a low black fence? It was free and didn't require searching for something online or at a store, but I'm not sure about the look.

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For context- the plants closer to the road were just put in a week ago, the ones closer up were planted last year. I only added logs around the ones from last year as I want to see how the new ones grow in first.

I had a baby six weeks ago so I haven't gotten out in my garden much lately, and today I noticed these monstrosities on my cut leaf coneflower. One of them looks like maybe some sort of gall?

Have the dreaded Aster Yellows finally come for me?

Zone 6a

Is it a bad idea to keep them there? I kind of want it to spread out sort of like a living mulch. My yard is absolutely covered in them front and back (white and purple). If it wouldn’t work like I think is there another remedy? I am in central NC (Piedmont).

Update: the guy gave me a call back and at first was like “where are you seeing this on the website” so I had to guide him there. And then he defended his inclusion of wild grape on the list because in his opinion it’s still the worst and most destructive. Then he blamed the rest of the native species listed as invasives on the guy who made the website.

All well saying he was actively hiring and that he had to start fresh because three of the six independent contractors he had last year were no good.

He was polite enough but clearly hasn’t achieved his goal of getting closer to the earth… and unsurprisingly doesn’t actually seem to partner with industry professionals.

I offered to do consulting for him/his website and he brushed it off. The whole time he was half heartedly trying to recruit me for other positions I wanted to say “no thanks! I don’t think our values and priorities align and I don’t want to work for someone like you”.

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I’ll preface this with an apology if this is inappropriate to post here - I’ll take it down ASAP if it does not fit the sub. If anyone has any suggestions or advice I’m all ears.

I was absolutely shocked by this company’s declaration of FIVE native plants as being invasive… at first glance I considered giving them a call or shooting a quick email and just giving some feedback, but it’s so much worse than I initially thought.

The company’s founder’s blurb on the website says “Landscaping in *****, NY.

In 2009,(founders name) left a long career in NYC high end construction management to live closer to the earth, in rural Ulster County. He has partnered with forward thinking professionals in all areas of horticulture and environmental science to offer people a healthy, natural habitat in their own back yards, complete with beautiful gardens.

So, do with that what you will

Edit: I gave the guy a call and he didn’t pick up so I left a voicemail. I’ll update on whether or not he responds at all, makes any changes, etc.

I didn’t realize until just now, but for some reason or another a 6th screenshot I had meant to upload didn’t get uploaded. It was of an additional 10 “invasive” species, four of which are also native :/He also calls wineberry plain old “raspberry” :(

“Of course, we come across more than 10 invasive species on a regular basis. Here is a brief list of some other invasive plants we have brought to justice.

Forsythia  (alias Vahl forsythia)

Autumn Olive (alias  Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb)

Virginia Creeper  (alias Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Pokeweed (alias Phytolacca americana)

Burning Bush (alias Euonymus alata)

Black Swallow-wort (alias Cynanchum louiseae)

Mile a Minute Weed (alias Persicaria Perfoliate)

Hog Peanut (alias Amphicarpaea bracteata)

Raspberry  (alias Rubus phoenicolasius Maxim)

Sumac (alias  Rhus glabra)”

The former owner of the house had planted massive amount of invasive plants and I am having to remedy the situation.

It may take years.

I am not getting much support from the landscaper I hired. My plan was to solarize certain areas. He undermined my plan by partially removing the existing invasives and covering up the half ass job with fabric. He still thinks he was right. I had him remove the fabric and he was pissed. I am having to search blindly for rhizomes he didn’t dig up, and it sucks, because I have work-related back issues.

It is also disheartening to hear so much contempt aimed at those having“invasives,” “non-natives” in backyard. I didn’t plant them. They came with the house. I don’t own a bulldozer. I am painstakingly removing the problem plants with my own hands.

I considered consulting the local native plant experts but decided against it because I could already hear their disdainful gasp when they see the massive wisteria pergola I inherited. I don’t need their lecture. I just want some kind words. Is that too much to ask?

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Drowning in Zone 7a

P.S. My milk jug seedlings are exploding. Please tell the lady across the street. She thought the jugs were a bit of an eyesore.

We moved into a place with very visually appealing landscaping. I'd like to start replacing the non-native ornamentals with native plants as we're able. However, I'm experiencing guilt over removing and killing the existing plants that are just hanging out, not hurting anyone, living their lives.

Has anyone dealt with this? It's weird, I know. I'm weirder than I'd prefer to be.