Hello Sue,

Extension doesn't collect information (like what services are offered or how they are reviewed) about landscapers or landscaping companies, nor do we recommend particular businesses, but we can say that one good option may be to hire someone with Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional certification. They have training in using sustainable landscaping techniques, and likely also have experience selecting and planting native species that are best suited to the site conditions.

Maryland does not have many native annuals that are widely grown and available for purchase. Plus, since the typical non-native annuals used in many gardens (geraniums, petunias, etc.) have been bred for decades to have larger and showier flowers than their wild cousins, the blooms on our locally-native annuals might seem too subtle to gardeners by comparison, at least for aesthetic use since they won't be very visible at a distance. Of course, these plants do have at least some value to wildlife, but less information is available about their care in garden settings since they are so rarely planted. If you wanted to research which annuals to consider and where to find some for sale, below are a few species that might be of interest (though they do not all grow in the same conditions). If your location is full sun and on the drier side, from the plants below, Partridge Pea, Black-eyed Susan, and Smooth Beggarticks are probably the best options.

• Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and Yellow Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida)
• Indian-tobacco (Lobelia inflata)
• Purple False Foxglove (Agalinis purpurea)
• Black-eyed Susan (specifically Rudbeckia hirta, since several Rudbeckia species are called Black-eyed Susan)
• Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)
• Forked Bluecurls (Trichostema dichotomum)
• American Bellflower (Campanula americana) - annual or biennial (living for two years before self-seeding)
• Smooth Beggarticks (Bidens laevis)
• Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis flavula)

Many native perennials are available these days, and the number is increasing due to an increasing popularity of using native plants in home gardens. Not many are available as seed compared to already-started plants, and some seed will need stratification before use. Stratification is the cold chilling period that helps seeds germinate at the right time, and many of our native species will not sprout without it. Some seed companies might take this step before selling seed, but you would have to check; it's possible some have a longer storage shelf life if not stratified first, so it might vary.

Rather than sowing seed, we recommend that people interested in creating a meadow-like planting or any large native plant installation consider using plugs instead. These are young plants that are smaller and cheaper (and easier to plant) than the pot sizes generally available at nurseries, but they have advantages over sowing seed. For one, growing from seed needs more close monitoring, since germinating seeds usually will not tolerate drying out for too long. Additionally, the gardener needs to be able to distinguish weed seeds while they are still young enough to easily remove so they don't compete with the desirable plants, and this can be challenging because both (weeds and the native plants) can have a different look when young compared to older plants. Leaf size, shape, and color may change, making plant ID harder. You won't be able to rely on mulch to keep weeds down when starting desirable plants from seed, since mulch will reduce their germination in the process. You can, however, mulch between plants as they start to mature, if it helps, at least until they fill in enough to serve as their own living mulch to keep future weeds out.

Seed is cheapest option, but a compromise to the issues above may be to sow them into containers of potting mix first, so you can more easily monitor the seedlings for weeds and watering needs, and then plant them in the ground once they're old enough (likely weeks or months later, depending on the speed of growth). Essentially, you'd be creating your own plugs.

You may find that some plant species are more available as seed or plugs and not both, so a mix of the two might still be needed.

If you shop for a "wildflower" seed mix (compared to picking-out species individually to mix yourself when ready to plant), be aware that many companies use that term for any type of wild-looking arrangement. They will not necessarily be using native plants, especially those native in our area. Sometimes, a few natives (often prairie species, whether or not they also occur in Maryland) will be included, but not all of the plant mix will be regionally native, or even native to North America. It is simplest to avoid "wildflower" mixes unless purchased from a company specializing in eastern North American native plants.

The list of potential native perennial species to consider is too long to share here, but we'll include some resources below that you can explore. These lists mainly focus on species with showy blooms or other "garden-worthy" traits, since plenty more native plants exist in MD that are not cultivated for one reason or another. Therefore, the plants in these lists may be easier to find than others that are not as showy, widespread, or otherwise as easy to grow.

• Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Native Plants of Maryland by UMD Extension
• Landscaping with Native Plants by the Maryland Native Plant Society
• Native Plants for Northern Virginia (still applicable here)

While Extension doesn't gather information on native plant suppliers either, here are two supplier lists from popular local references:

• Maryland Native Plant Society vendors list
• Mt. Cuba Center nursery resources (Mt. Cuba is a native plant public garden in the piedmont of Delaware, so they essentially share the same growing conditions as central MD)

How to prepare the plot may depend on the plants you choose to put in its place. Many native plants do not need much, if any, soil amendment to loosen or "improve" the soil, and too much enrichment can actually favor weeds over the natives. Once the remaining turfgrass is removed (either with a shovel, killing it with a light-blocking tarp for a few weeks, or scraping it off with a rented sod cutter machine), you may be able to plant right away. If you have to plant in stages due to time or budget constraints, consider mulching or otherwise temporarily covering the rest of the bare ground until you're ready to plant in those areas in order to prevent erosion and colonization by weeds. Expect a few weeds to come up anyway from the disturbed soil, but over time, it should wane. Avoid roto-tilling the soil if at all possible, since it can damage valuable soil structure.

Our How to Make a Meadow web page provides more tips on how to install a planting in stages and what kind of longer-term yearly maintenance a meadow needs.

Miri

Thank you!