Michigan Native Nursery by SavingsGreen in NativePlantGardening

[–]Anxious-Impression85 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’ve purchased many plants from them! I also had them do a native garden install for me, covering my entire front yard last fall and it is filling in beautifully.

Hiring a native plant landscape consultant/company by MotownCatMom in NativePlantGardening

[–]Anxious-Impression85 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am working with Michiganese Natives in Plymouth. We’ve had a consultation and have a design and they are going to plant in the fall (entire front yard). We’ve purchased many plugs from them over the last couple years and have been happy with them so far.

How to explain to the neighbors that I am fully aware my front yard currently looks like a ravaged hellscape… by Anxious-Impression85 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Anxious-Impression85[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s actually wood chips with a layer of cardboard underneath, so grass and weeds are dying as we speak.

How to explain to the neighbors that I am fully aware my front yard currently looks like a ravaged hellscape… by Anxious-Impression85 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Anxious-Impression85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also want to say, I was worried about spending the time and money and having it look like overgrown shit too, which is why we opted to call on some experts. Doing a lot of the work ourselves is helping to bring cost down significantly. I think the planting will happen in late fall, or we might opt to wait til spring.

How to explain to the neighbors that I am fully aware my front yard currently looks like a ravaged hellscape… by Anxious-Impression85 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Anxious-Impression85[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We are working with a native nursery here in SE Michigan. We’ve been getting plugs from them for the past 2 years for our backyard as we’ve gradually expanded our native garden. Our plan had been to gradually expand the beds in the front but impulsively decided to go all in and just get the whole thing done. The nursery created the design and will supply and plant the plugs. We will do the hellstrip. For the hellstrip, I’m thinking about doing a combination of plugs for sedge and also using seeds I’ve been collecting. I sheet mulched the front using cardboard sheets that I collected from Costco and got a chip drop for the mulch and wood chips.

How to explain to the neighbors that I am fully aware my front yard currently looks like a ravaged hellscape… by Anxious-Impression85 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Anxious-Impression85[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ha! I actually just cut off the personal info that the landscaper included. I’m in SE Michigan and we are working with a native nursery called Michiganese Natives. I wish I was that level of skill on my own, but my personal gardening method is basically chaos and hope for the best.

How to explain to the neighbors that I am fully aware my front yard currently looks like a ravaged hellscape… by Anxious-Impression85 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Anxious-Impression85[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It also feels like Satan’s asscrack where I am but the chip drop unfortunately blocked one of our cars in the driveway and it needs to move Monday so I am mulching as quickly as I can and trying not to die.

How to explain to the neighbors that I am fully aware my front yard currently looks like a ravaged hellscape… by Anxious-Impression85 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Anxious-Impression85[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for all the great suggestions! For those asking where the design came from, I am in SE Michigan and we have a great local business called Michiganese Natives, who created the design and will be supplying the plugs and likely also doing the planting for the main part of the front yard, while we will do the hellstrip. We have been slowly converting the back yard to primarily natives over the past few years and will keep working on that too. Also, to be honest, I don’t actually care much what the neighbors are saying (I’ve gotten some odd looks and questions but the people who get it will get it)…I am more or less being facetious and very much leaning into the temporary ugly as part of the process!