Ninety % Native Plants

💜🌿 Have you seen this stunning native beauty around Northern Virginia? This is the Northern Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) — a showy, water-loving wildflower native to wetlands, marshes, and stream banks across the eastern U.S. 🌊


With its striking purple-blue petals and elegant upright form, this iris brings bold color and ecological value to native plant gardens. It blooms in late spring to early summer, attracting pollinators like bees, moths and hummingbirds 🐝🦋.

🌱 It’s also a host plant for the larvae of the Virginia ctenucha (Ctenucha virginica), a dazzling day-flying moth with metallic blue-green wings and a bright orange head, adding a splash of color while supporting beneficial insects — making it a valuable addition to wetland-friendly gardens.

Iris versicolor thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers moist to wet soils — perfect for rain gardens or low-lying areas. And it’s also deer-resistant 🦌.

🌍 Bonus: It’s excellent for stabilizing soil in wet spots and even helps filter runoff, making it a smart choice for eco-conscious gardeners. Just a heads-up: it spreads slowly by rhizomes, so over time it can naturalize into wide patches — beautiful, but plan ahead if planting near lawns or smaller beds.

📍 Look for it at native plant nurseries like @earthsangha and bring a little wetland magic to your garden!


PS - Post prepared by my intern Henry 👱.

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7 months ago | [YT] | 17

Ninety % Native Plants

🌱🍓 This is the Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) — and yes, it’s native to Northern Virginia! This little beauty is one of the wild strawberries that helped create the modern strawberries we know today. Although its berries are small, they’re incredibly sweet and flavorful—a true treat from nature! 😋

Virginia strawberry grows low to the ground and spreads by runners, making it an excellent native ground cover. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, prefers well-drained soil☀️🌿🦌. And guess what? It’s not just delicious to us — it’s also a great food source for birds, pollinators, and small mammals 🐦🦋🐿️. Even better? It’s a host plant for the Gray Hairstreak butterfly, supporting caterpillars as well as adult pollinators throughout their lifecycle. 🐛🦋

For those of you into native gardening or restoring habitat, Fragaria virginiana is a must-have. It’s tough, low-maintenance, and beautiful when it blooms with delicate white flowers in spring. 🌼 Plus, it supports biodiversity and helps our ecosystems stay strong 💪🌎.

Fun fact 📚: While it may be humble in size, this native strawberry played a huge role in the creation of the modern hybrid strawberry when it was crossbred with a Chilean species in the 1700s. So, the next time you eat a big juicy store-bought strawberry, thank this little native legend. 🙌🍓

🛑 Word of caution: If used in garden beds as ground cover, it will spread easily—and may creep into your lawn! Consider using it in large less formal areas.

Want to see it in person? Local native nurseries like @watermarkwoods might have some in stock — always worth a visit!

PS - Post prepared by my intern Henry👱‍♂️!

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7 months ago | [YT] | 15

Ninety % Native Plants

🌱 Applying the Miyawaki Method to My Native Hedgerows 🌱

I’ve been unknowingly applying principles of the Miyawaki method in my native hedgerows, and I’m excited to take it a step further with more intentionality. For those who aren’t familiar, the Miyawaki method involves planting a diverse range of native species very closely together. This method encourages plants to compete for light, water, and nutrients, which can lead to faster growth and a more resilient ecosystem.

My hedgerows currently include native species like Devil’s Walking Stick, American Holly, Shagbark Hickory, Witch Hazel, Elderberry, Coralberry, shade grasses, herbaceous perennials and groundcovers. I’ve already seen how these plants thrive in close proximity, but I’m excited to push it further.

🎥 For a deeper dive into the Miyawaki method and how it works, check out this video (not mine) I found that explains it in more detail.

https://youtu.be/R0d7Hox5J4M?si=SpZFX...

11 months ago | [YT] | 6

Ninety % Native Plants

🌿🌱 New YouTube Video Alert! 🌱🌿


Hello everyone! I’m trying something new in my latest video – sowing seeds using the Seed Snail Method! 🐌🌱 This is my first attempt, so I’m excited to see how it goes and share the process with you all. Come along for the experiment, and let’s see if this unique technique really works!

Check it out now and let me know what you think! 👀👇
https://youtu.be/XNju8BVCZ0A?si=YpRyZ...


🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more helpful tips!

11 months ago | [YT] | 1

Ninety % Native Plants

🌿🌱 New YouTube Video Alert! 🌱🌿


Hello everyone! I just released a brand new video where I share my personal experience learning about native plants and how to identify which ones are native to a specific area 🌍. Plus, I’m diving into where you can actually buy native plants to help make your garden or landscaping more eco-friendly and beautiful. 🏡💚



🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more helpful tips!


Let’s grow together and make our spaces greener with native plants! 🌳🌼

11 months ago | [YT] | 7

Ninety % Native Plants

Happy New Year! 🌟 May 2025 bring you endless joy, success, and countless cherished moments with loved ones—and in your garden! It's been a while since I’ve posted, as I’ve been taking an extended break for various reasons. But I’m excited to get back to sharing my garden adventures in 2025!


I’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to in this upcoming gardening season—drop a comment below and let’s share our plans! For me, I’m excited to experiment with new methods of propagation (you all know how much I love that topic!).


In the meantime, enjoy this photo of a White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) that has gone to seed.

1 year ago | [YT] | 37

Ninety % Native Plants

Check out my latest video where I talk about how I sow my native plant seeds, which native plants I am growing this year, and what I have been up to winter sowing with milk jugs (Trudi Davidoff's method). Are you sowing anything special, interesting, rare or unique this season? If so, let me know in the comments below!

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

Ninety % Native Plants

Our crazy snow has deterred my video plans a bit this week, but Violet has loved playing in the snow!

1 year ago | [YT] | 17

Ninety % Native Plants

Catch my latest video about native plant winter interest, native evergreen groundcovers and intentional wildlife habitats in my latest video. Any questions, drop them wherever you find me! 👩🏻‍🌾💚

2 years ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Ninety % Native Plants

I’ve been stuck in bed sick for the past few days.🤒🤧However, I was able to get a giant head start planning my seed starting. Here’s a video about how I stay organized throughout the seed starting season.👩🏻‍🌾💚 https://youtu.be/kdTvvcKP_YE?si=c5I6q...

2 years ago (edited) | [YT] | 3