Please suggest some native plants we could grow that are easily available at our local garden centre. We live beside a park at the top of Scarborough Bluffs.
A. To grow native plants in your garden is going to be a two part process.
The biggest problem is the elimination of the garlic mustard. It must be done first.
Garlic Mustard is an invasive specie that exudes a toxin in which it kills off other plants in the area and therefore allows it free access to spreading freely. Native plants such as dutchman's breeches, hepatica, trilliums, bloodroot, wild ginger are very susceptible to this aggressive plant. Light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space are also used up by this plant. The flowers of the plant disperse thousands of seeds two weeks after bloom. The seed can be viable in a dormant state in the soil for up to 10 years. This is one nasty plant.
How to control it
At the moment you as a homeowner are not able to put an herbicide on as there is a ban in Ontario on using pesticides. You may call in a weed specialist who has a license to spray. To find a specialist who services your area, go to the Find a Company page on the Green for Life website, click on Lawn Care and enter your postal code to get local results. As you live beside a park speak to the persons who maintain this space and possibly you can work out something for the eradication of this plant in both spaces. You can try smothering the area with heavy plastic, or many layers of newspapers. It would need to be left there for at least a year to make sure all plants are eliminated. After you have eliminated all garlic mustard plants from your garden start adding native plants back in. The North American Native Plant Society has a great sale each spring or you can contact your local independent garden centre to check if they stock the plant or if they can order it in for you. Again, go to the Find a Company page on the Green for Life website, choose Garden Centres and enter you postal code.
Valerie E. Liney, Lake Simcoe South Master Gardener
2010 International Year of Biodiversity
