New regional series · 22 field plans
Start where you live.
Each guide solves a different site problem and links to state, university, or government sources for local verification.
Do new native perennials need water after fall rain?
Decide whether to water newly planted native perennials after autumn rain: check the root zone, separate wet and dry pockets, and avoid a fixed schedule.
Powdery mildew on bee balm: what to do in a small garden
White patches on bee balm? Judge severity, check crowding and water stress, and decide when to tolerate mildew or seek help in a small Mid-Atlantic garden.
A native planting plan for Maryland clay
A condition-first Maryland native plant guide for compacted clay, with palettes for dry upper beds and moisture-holding lower beds.
A small full-sun garden for the Virginia Piedmont
A repeatable six-plant native palette for a small sunny Virginia Piedmont garden, with bloom sequence and first-year care.
Native plants for Pennsylvania dry shade
A Pennsylvania dry-shade native plant palette for tree canopies and east-facing beds, plus guidance on roots, leaf litter, and realistic establishment.
A small native garden for New Jersey’s sandy Coastal Plain
How to plan a small native garden on sandy, acidic New Jersey Coastal Plain soil without automatically adding fertilizer or lime.
Plants for a Delaware rain-garden edge
A Delaware rain-garden edge plan that separates the wetter basin, sloped edge, and drier rim instead of treating the whole depression alike.
A pollinator garden for a DC rowhouse
A narrow Washington, DC rowhouse pollinator garden plan with a compact plant palette, bloom sequence, and practical street-edge constraints.
Native planting on a West Virginia slope
A low-disturbance West Virginia slope planting strategy for slowing sheet flow, covering soil, and matching dry upper and moist lower zones.
A tough native mailbox garden
A compact Mid-Atlantic native mailbox garden for heat, reflected sun, road splash, visibility, and low-maintenance curb appeal.
Fall-blooming plants for Mid-Atlantic pollinators
A Mid-Atlantic fall pollinator plant palette using asters, goldenrods, ironweed, and grasses, with options for small sunny and shady gardens.
A tidy 12 × 8-foot native front-yard plan
A tidy Mid-Atlantic 12-by-8-foot native front-yard garden layout with repeated groups, layered heights, four-season structure, and HOA-conscious maintenance cues.
Native plants for a narrow Mid-Atlantic foundation bed
Plan a narrow Mid-Atlantic native foundation bed for sun or part shade without blocking windows, vents, paths, meters, or drainage.
Native plants over a Mid-Atlantic septic drainfield
Choose a safe, shallow-rooted native cover for a Mid-Atlantic septic drainfield while protecting pipes, access, airflow, and drainage.
When to plant native plugs in the Mid-Atlantic
A practical fall planting guide for Mid-Atlantic native perennial plugs, covering timing, planting depth, watering, winter mulch, frost heave, and spring checks.
Deer-resistant native plants for a small Mid-Atlantic garden
Build a small Mid-Atlantic native garden for deer pressure with lower-browse-risk plants, establishment guards, clear edges, and a practical recovery plan.
How to replace a small shady lawn with native sedges
Convert a 10 × 10-foot shady Mid-Atlantic lawn into a native sedge groundcover with a traffic plan, careful turf removal, plug math, and first-year care.
How to overwinter native perennials in containers
A Mid-Atlantic guide to overwintering native perennials in containers, with hardiness screening, drainage, winter watering, shelter, and spring checks.
How to leave fall leaves in a small native garden
A Mid-Atlantic method for moving fall leaves off paths and lawn into healthy native beds while protecting drains, plant crowns, and winter habitat.
How to collect native seeds from a small garden
A careful Mid-Atlantic guide to recognizing ripe native seed, labeling each garden collection, drying it safely, and leaving seedheads for wildlife.
How to divide wild bergamot in a small garden
When and how to divide crowded wild bergamot in a Mid-Atlantic garden, with spring timing, healthy root sections, spacing, and transplant aftercare.
How to remove landscape fabric from a small native garden
Remove old weed-barrier fabric from a small Mid-Atlantic native garden: protect established roots, manage weeds, and cover the soil without a new plastic layer.
Core skills · 3 primers
Read the site before the label.
Site reading · 6 min
Measure sunlight before you shop
A one-day observation method that is more useful than guessing from the direction your yard faces.
Design · 8 min
Make a native garden look intentional
Use edges, repeated groups, seasonal structure, and an editing rule without stripping out ecological value.
Soil · 7 min
Plant in clay without creating a bathtub
Why blanket amendment can backfire—and how to test drainage before selecting moisture preferences.