21.07.2023 - 22:15 / awaytogarden.com

defining ‘native’ and choosing the right native plants, with dan jaffe

WHAT MAKES a particular native plant a good choice for the home garden? And where can we look for clues into which natives will do best in our particular location and conditions? I asked advice from Dan Jaffe, who at the time of our 2018 interview was propagator and stock bed grower at New England Wild Flower Society, and author, in collaboration with his colleague Mark Richardson, of “Native Plants For New England Gardens.”

Wherever you garden, he has advice to help you think about what to look for in a garden-worthy native and more, and how to really define native, anyway. I learned the concept of ecoregions—about choosing plants not because I live within a particular county line on a manmade map, but instead guided by larger forces of geology and natural habitat.

Read along as you listen to the July 23, 2018 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here). Plus: Enter to win a copy of the new book, by commenting at the bottom of the page.

selecting garden-worthy native plants, with dan jaffe

Q. I haven’t been to Garden in the Woods in too long, and I’m going to come visit you soon, I promise. [Laughter.]

A. We’d love to have you, and anyone’s welcome here. This place is pretty cool right now. We’re a very seasonal garden, and I’d say the Woodland Garden really shines in spring, but right now, the meadow is incredible.

Q. I bet. So your headquarters kind of is Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts?

A. That’s correct. The headquarters of New England Wild Flower Society [which was renamed Native Plant Trust in 2019] is Garden in the Woods. It’s a 45-acre botanical garden. You know, we’ve got

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