100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants: Book Review & Giveaway

Certainly if ever a group were in need of a good public relations firm, it would be native plants. Even though there has been a surge of interest in native plants in recent years, there's still a lingering bit of snobbery that sees natives as plants not worthy of a prominent place in our gardens.

One person whose never suffered from this lack of appreciation for natives is Lorraine Johnson. She's a Canadian gardening icon whose been writing about the virtues of natives for decades. This spring Douglas & McIntyre has launched no less than a third edition of classic 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens with a revised introduction, updated botanical names and new information on how to support native pollinators.

One of the first things Lorraine did, at a recent talk at the Stratford Garden Festival, was to clear away two common misconceptions about native plants. The first was that native plants are little more than weeds. But as Lorraine went on to point out, most nuisance weeds like dandelions, aren't native at all. They were brought to North America by European settlers where they escaped the confines of home gardens and spread into the surrounding landscape.

The second assumption was that all native gardens have one basic look to them– that of a natural meadow. The chiché that springs to mind is the rogue suburban gardener, hated by all their neighbours for having a wild looking front garden filled with native flowers and tall grasses. But is it actually the case that a natural garden must always be hopelessly out-of-step with tightly clipped lawns and manicured flowerbeds that dominate most suburban neighbourhoods?

From 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens, Lorraine Johnson. Photograph by Andrew Leyerle. ©2017. Published by Douglas &McIntyre. Excerpted with permission of the publisher.

The reality, Lorraine said continuing her talk, is the look of a native garden depends more on the plants you choose than on the fact that you chose to garden with natives. As you can see by this garden from the book (above) a native garden can be lush and green, while being fairly neat and compact.

The carpet of groundcovers on this woodland slope include False Solomon's Seal, Maianthemum racemosum, syn. Smilacina racemosa, Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense, Cinnamon Fern, Osmunda cinnamonomea, syn. Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. It's easy to imagine a tidy front garden that is a combination of a few dwarf conifers and a mix of these native plants.

Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum

One of the things Lorraine credits for the recent surge of interest in native plants is their ability to make us feel we are making a change for the positive on an environmental level. The global nature of environmental problems can leave us feeling overwhelmed. Governments that dismiss the impact of climate change can leave us frustrated. But in our own home gardens we have the power to create healthy, diverse ecosystems that support endangered bee and butterfly populations along with a whole host of other beneficial insects that depend on native plants.

In the introduction of her book Lorraine writes,"I'm convinced that a simple trowel is a grand place to start the necessary (and, in moments of hope, I think inevitable) transformation of our culture from nature dominance to nature partnership."

Even though I am committed to these same lofty goals, I have to say that they are not the primary reason for my interest in native plants. I honestly happen to think they are amazing. In recent years, I have discovered native Trout Lilies, Erythronium americanum with their spotted,  green leaves spotted growing in the vicinity of my garden. They are one-third the size of fancy hybrid Erythroniums blooms and yet their simple blooms make them utterly charming.

Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis

A year ago I brought home some native Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis from my mother's garden. I just love the way the fresh, daisy-like flowers emerge wrapped up in leafy grey-green arms.

The more I have gotten to know native plants, the more I have come to really appreciate their unique and fascinating qualities.

From 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens, Lorraine Johnson. Photograph by Andrew Leyerle. ©2017. Published by Douglas &McIntyre. Excerpted with permission of the publisher.

I am intrigued by any number of the natives in Lorraine's book. Take this Skunk Cabbage, Lysichilton americanus, for example. What a curious and intriguing looking plant! A conversation piece to be sure. If we manage to get our garden pond done this year, it might make a nice addition to the pond's damp edges. This is just one example of course. The book has many unusual and beautiful plants to offer.

From 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens, Lorraine Johnson. Photograph by Andrew Leyerle. ©2017. Published by Douglas &McIntyre. Excerpted with permission of the publisher.

If you follow this blog, you'll know I like books that are well-organized with concise information that you can act on right away. Following a brief introduction and a bit of guidance on how to use the the information in 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens, the reader moves on to one hundred and one native plant profiles.  There is a picture with each listing, a general description of noteworthy plant characteristics, pointers on maintenance, growing requirements and propagation. The notations on plant combinations are ones Lorraine has seen and enjoyed herself (although she encourages gardeners to experiment with plant combinations of their own). Some native plants have a very broad range, growing across most of the continent. Others have a more restricted range, so Lorraine ends each listing with notes on related species.

There is one other little thing I should mention– especially hot-on-the-heels of my post on aggressive plants. Lorraine doesn't mind natives that have a tendency to wander and spread. If this is a concern for you, double check that the native you choose is one whose growth is polite and controlled.

Most handy are the charts that the end of the book that allow you to shop at a glance for plants appropriate for specific conditions, such as acid soil. I'd even suggest that, after you finish the introduction, you start by selecting interesting plants from the appropriate chart and then go to the full profiles to make sure the plants you've chosen meet all your growing requirements.

I think you will find that 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens is an excellent reference that you will turn to again and again.

Publisher Douglas & McIntyre has given me a copy of  the revised edition of 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens to give away. Because this book will go to a winner through the mail, I will have to limit entry in the draw to readers in Canada and the USA. 

Please leave a comment below, if you would like to be included in the book draw. The draw will remain open for the next two weeks (until Sunday, April 23rd). If you are not a blogger, you can enter to win by leaving a comment on the Three Dogs in a Garden Facebook page. You are also welcome to enter by sending me an email (jenc_art@hotmail.com).

About the Author: 
Lorraine Johnson is the former president of the North American Native Plant Society and is the author of numerous books on gardening and environmental issues. She is also the editor of The National Treasures of Carolinian Canada; Canadian Gardener's Guide; and What Plant Where Encyclopedia. She lives in Toronto.

For more information about 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens, visit the Douglas & McIntyre's website.

Margaret, David and a Handy Hollow Leg

Margaret and I kept crossing paths. 

By chance, I found a seat next to her at the Garden Writers Association luncheon at Canada Blooms last March. As we nibbled away at our plates of assorted sandwiches and cold salads, Margaret and I chatted. 

There was something so familiar and comfortable about this woman. I think it was because she reminded me of my mother. It wasn't that Margaret was a similar age. Nor was it the silver hair and light frame that both she and my mother had in common. There was something else, something much more subtle.

It wasn't until much later that I learned of the common bond that Margaret and my mother shared. Margaret has a son coping with mental illness, and in my mother's case, it was her youngest daughter.

The next time I ran into Margaret was on a Toronto garden tour. It was mid-June and the sweltering heat had begun to make the tour feel more like a marathon. Already I had seen one too many gardens where the swimming pool was the most impressive feature!

As I rounded a corner, who should I see but Margaret looking as fresh as a daisy! "She's 88 years old!", I grumbled to myself, "How is she managing to do all this walking?" 

A vivid blue Morning Glory growing on Margaret's garage.

The next time Margaret and I crossed paths was at the Garden Blogger's Fling closing dinner. I was standing in the midst of assembled bloggers enjoying posh, bite-sized hors d'oeuvres and glass of white wine when I saw Margaret motion to me from across the room.

"How is your health?", she asked when I took a seat beside her.

On the surface of things, I wasn't unwell, so I knew what she was politely asking about. She was questioning my weight. Maybe it was the party or perhaps it was the large glass of wine that made me feel open and generous.

"Well, I suppose I could be thinner", I said handing her the key to the door she wished to open.

This lead to a lengthy conversation on the subject of one of Margaret's great passions: food and good nutrition. Margaret's a Vegan (no meat and no animal products such as eggs and dairy).

"I hear from passersby what a pretty garden I have," says Margaret.

The following week I trekked into the heart of Toronto to see Margaret's garden. She lives off Avenue Rd., on a narrow tree-lined street that does not feel like it is anywhere near the epicentre of Canada's largest city. The houses were once modest family homes, but these days, they are prime Toronto real-estate.

The backyard is shady, but Margaret's front of the house is sunny, so this is where she planted this year's crop of tomatoes.

Also at the front are several Heuchera, Russian Sage and one of Margaret's favourite roses: the Fairy. 

"The Fairy roses at the front of my south-facing garden are my most successful plant. Japanese Beetles, which decimate many roses, do not touch these small pink blooms," she says.

Margaret's took this photo with her i-pad.

Taken from the vantage point of a second story window, this photograph shows the back garden in a nutshell. In the foreground is a small flagstone patio. Beyond it is an expanse of lawn with flowerbeds around the perimeter.

On the left is a garage designed by landscape architect Victoria Lister Carley. Just in front of the garage is the seating area shown in the next image.

While it does have a few splashes of color, the garden's palette is predominantly quiet.

"The garden at the back of my house is green and white, a color combination that is peaceful and calm. Reading about the white garden at Sissinghurst inspired me to use white flowers," she says.

"Chartreuse and purple have crept in as gifts, recommendation, or my choice."

" I like the gentle activity of gardening which takes me outside with nature."

Margaret says, "Hostas are my favourite plant with their never-ending variety. In a shady garden they work well, although I don't like the holes that the slugs make. As soon as the little hosta nubbins peek through the earth in spring I spray them with one part ammonia and nine parts water, a solution which stops those little critters dead in their trails. And if I see holes later on, I'll spray the whole plant with the solution."

"I bought this much-admired cement birdbath from a neighbour's garage sale for $3."

Leafy green shade plants like this Lady Fern, Athyrium (above) and the Japanese Forest Grass, Hakonechloa (below) fit in perfectly with Margaret's minimalist color scheme.

Once I had taken pictures for my blog, it was time to return the favour and take a few photographs for Margaret. She wanted a photo taken with all her favourite garden helpers that she could use on her own website.

Margaret disappeared into the garage and came out a few moments later sporting gloves, a sensible hat, apron, a bucket with handy pockets for tools, and a long bag strapped around her waist with an adjustable belt.

I started taking pictures, but began to think that people might wonder about the bag hanging off her hip. What makes sense in real life, can become mysterious shape in a photograph. What was that contraption anyway? I suggested she take off the bag for a few of the shots.

"But I wouldn't want to take it off," Margaret protested, "It's one of my best tools! It's my Hollow Leg!"

Then she proceeded to demonstrate.

Out came a beak-shaped set of pruners. Snip. Snip. Snip. Each pruning passed quickly from her hand to the Hollow Leg without any need to bend or move further. I could easily see how someone might find this to be a handy, back-saving device.

Over bowls of creamy squash soup, I finally had a quiet moment to ask Margaret about her son David's illness. At 22 years of age, while studying computer science at university, David was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

"I had a job, but I was so consumed with David's devastating illness that I couldn't focus on my work and so I resigned," Margaret recounts, " I spent the next five years trying to make sure he took his medication and kept his appointments with his psychiatrist. And, at times, trying to dodge the orange juice which he more than once threw at me in our dining room."

Before I sat down to write this post, I read through some of Margaret's own blog posts. I was struck by this passage which spoke to her garden as a place of refuge:

" My favourite spot to get away from the world is behind our garage. Here, hidden from neighbours and family, I can listen to the fountain reminding me of the sound of the water rushing over the stones  in the creek behind the house of my childhood. I can look up through the pine needles to the blue sky. When David was first diagnosed with schizophrenia, this is where I mourned."

That last word really hit me. Mourned. It represents a pretty powerful emotion. I thought of my own mother's reaction when it became apparent that her youngest daughter was seriously ill. Mom was devastated, that I do remember.

Mental illness is a tough diagnosis for any mother to face. Seemingly overnight my sister reverted from a young woman, about to gain her independence, back to a dependent child who would need some form of care all of the days of her life.

The good news is that my youngest sister is doing great. I am so proud of her! She has her own apartment and even manages to hold down a job. Still, my 91 year old Mom worries endlessly about her future. Sometimes I think it's her concern for my sister that keeps my mother's heart beating. Mom can't face leaving my sister behind.

In Margaret's case, I think it's probably the same worries for David that keeps her going. Knowing you're needed has a way of keeping you young.

More information and Links:

The Gardener's Journal began as a calendar that David used to keep track of his medications and doctor's appointments. Looking for a project on which they could work together, Margaret and David transformed it into a journal and resource guide for all things gardening. The newly released 2016 edition marks the Journal's 24th year. The book has five sections: Journal, Garden Plan and Records, Photos, Delights and Disappointments, and Local Source Book. You can order a copy by clicking the link above.

        You too can own your own Hollow Leg. Here's a link.

Here's a book Margaret recommends, "I like the What Plant Where Encyclopedia published this year and edited by Lorraine Johnson who is beyond knowledgeable and smart. As the back cover states, "Planning your garden has never been easier."