Start your discussion about landscapes with the word native.  Don't end with it.

The word "native" in relation to landscapes has swept into our lives with such force and allegiance we began to see it as a new religous order, "The Church of the Native."  Its worshippers ask one question and one question only when starting a new landscape project.  "Is it native?"  After asking this, they should consider the following:

The definition of "native" is imprecise. If one studies the latest taxonomy, official arguments abound as to the origins of many of the plants now found in Western landscapes.  Every plant is native to somewhere.  The argument comes in defining how close to its native habitat a plant has to be to be native.

Natives take too long to bloom. Gardeners are often disappointed in efforts to create a dream native landscapes because of the amount of time necessary to establish one.  Unfortunately, some of the native perennials adapted to the Mountain West take more than one year to germinate.  Most take between two and four years to begin blooming.

Native seeds and plants are often not available. A wide range of native plants and seeds in all categories are now being sold by a growing number of companies. However, certain individual species have never been brought into commercial production.  Supplies are dependent upon seed gathered in the wild.  Some commercial varieties are being produced by only one or two organizations and are often in short supply.  Before deciding upon a specific list of native plants for your project, check for seed availability.

The lilac factor. Even native plant purists cringe when told to send their lilacs back to Europe.  Lilacs are not native to North America.  They represent the many non-native plants now bringing beauty and utility to our lives and landscapes.  Certainly, no one wants to introduce new weeds which cause damage to our local environments.  We certainly advocate using plants that require no water, no maintenance and no chemicals.  However, this is no reason to limit plant choice to native.  The gap between native and destructive plants is large and complicated and deserves careful discussion in each landscape, each bio-region.

Minimize problems by avoiding non-native pioneer species. Weed problems caused by non-natives are most likely minimized by avoiding the introduction of pioneering species, especially annuals.  A little research can certainly alert someone of the most suspect plants for each region.  Most states compile official lists of noxious weeds and restrict or ban their import.  In the GRIN data base listed here you will find the state and federal lists of noxious weeds. Official lists vary from state to state, but here you can check to see if any plant is on any list: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxweed.pl.  We welcome your feedback about plants you know to be destructive and/or restricted in your local area.

This century will be remembered as a time of landscaping naturally. Through ecologically sensitive seed saving and quality seed production, we offer you the best opportunity ever to capture the magic of the wild in your home garden. Join us in the endless adventure of planting natives. Feel free to experiment. Try your woodland, meadow or mountain favorites. Select by color, height and time of blossoming.  Seeds Trust wildflowers are beautiful as well as adaptable to many regions especially  the Mountain West.  Many are drought tolerant and easy to grow in all elevations.

Seeds Trust offers easy access to bulk wildflower seeds and ornamental grass seeds perfect for what we call the “new reasonable landscape.”  We now have 25 years experience helping thousands of homeowners create landscapes which minimize the use of water, chemicals and maintenance.  Let us help you.

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