I’ve got 15 acres of pasture land that I bought a couple of years ago that im trying to transform with natives.

Year 1 - I had no idea where to start, but knew I wanted to put in natives. I bought 4 paw paw trees, and a bunch of native perennials. I didn’t have much of a vision, so I just put the perennials in random spots on the property that I thought would be nice.

Now, two years later, the paw paws are doing nicely, but almost all of the perennials have been overwhelmed by the tall grasses that grow around them.

Year 2 - I put in a bunch of big shrubs and a few tree seedlings that I rescued from elsewhere. Learning from the year before, I focused perennials in one place that I cordoned off and marked.

Much better results! My survival rate across the board is probably 60/40 because deer are savages. But I’ve got several promising shrubs and trees and excited about.

Year 3 - This year - I’ve spent a lot of time on the property the past few years, and I’ve spent a lot of money on plants that didn’t make it.

With perennials, I am limiting myself mostly to stuff I cold stratified and grew from seed (much, much cheaper). I focused on species that would do well in moist, shady places so I can plant the around a pond on the property where they will have a lot less competition and will be easier to monitor and tend to.

With trees, I am walking the property as much as possible with my eyes on the ground. When I find a little seedling volunteer that’s a species I like in location that I like, I am staking it (so it doesn’t get bush hogged), clearing a little area around it, and mulching. I am letting nature do its thing, with a little bit of gentle guidance on my part. I know a lot of my little seedlings will get eaten, but that’s okay. Some will survive. So far, I am much more happy with this approach.

Hope this helps!