Inspo
Walk About
To find plants that will grow well on your property, snoop on your neighbors! I use a plant identifying app on my phone to discover if the plants I see growing are good options for a conservation garden.
Public Wildflowers
A beautiful mix of wildflowers in a Traverse City Alley. This mix features native plants!
Private Homes
Walking nearby neighborhoods can offer garden inspiration.
Botanic Gardens
Monarch butterflies on Ironweed flowers at Historic Barns Park.
Books
I have an entry level collection of field guides to Michigan Trees and Wildflowers (by Stan Teikiela) that are helpful for learning about local flora. Most field guides have information about growing conditions for plants, so even though they are designed to identify plant growing wild, they can also be used to brainstorm plants you may want to cultivate.
During my research for this website, I referred to a number of relevant books from the Library. While it is not specfic to our landscape, the book Naturalistic Gardening by Ann Lovejoy was by far my favorite. This witty and beautiful book made a strong case for mimicing the beautiful wildness of nature in garden scapes.
Wildnerness
Take a hike in one of the many nature trails nearby! Keep in mind that you may see invasive plants in these areas, so always research each species before planting. Observing wild, outdoor areas can give you great inpsiration about compositiongs and colors that suit our landscape.
Brown Bridge Quiet Area
Grand Traverse Conservation District