![]() | BLM IdahoNative Garden Guide |
Native Garden Guide for Southestern Idaho. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
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U.S. Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Native Garden Guide
for Southwestern Idaho
NATIVE GARDENS FOR IDAHO PARTNERSHIP
Boise School District
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
City of Boise
College of Western Idaho
Garden City Garden Club
Golden Eagle Audubon Society
Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Mancuso Botanical Services
Steppe Environmental
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
West Ada School District
WRITTEN BY
Holly Hovis, BLM
Kristin Lohr, USFWS
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Anne Halford, BLM
Chris Taylor, Boise School District
Dave Hopper, USFWS
Dusty Perkins, College of Western Idaho
Judy Snow, Garden City Garden Club
Karen Colson, USFWS
Kristin Gnojewski, City of Boise, Parks and Recreation
Lynell Sutter, Steppe Environmental
Micah Lauer, West Ada School Distsrict
Michael Mancuso, Mancuso Botanical Services
Sean Finn, Golden Eagle Audubon Society
DESIGN
Antonia Hedrick, BLM
AUGUST 2019
U.S. Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Native Garden Guide
for Southwestern Idaho
IDAHO STATE OFFICE
1387 S. Vinnell Way
Boise, ID 83709
208-373-4000
Blank Page or
good place for Photo
Monarch on showy milkweed, A. Hedrick
Table of Contents
Native Garden Guide
1
INTRODUCTION
2
SECTION A
How to Get Started
Forming a Team
5
SECTION B
Funding and Grants
7
SECTION C
Garden Design
Design Tips
Native Gardens in Southwest Idaho
Public Perception
Bird Habitat Garden
Pollinator Habitat Garden
Monarch Garden
Sensory Garden
Outreach
39
SECTION D
Implementation
Calculations
Site Preparation
Material Resources
47
SECTION E
Maintenance
Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Plan Example
52
SECTION F
Master Plant List
back cover
RESOURCES
Sage International Charter School Garden
Introduction
Welcome to the Native Garden Guide for Southwestern Idaho. This guide was created to help
novice gardeners create waterwise, wildlifefriendly gardens using plants suitable for
southwest Idaho. The information in this guide
will assist backyard gardeners, urban planners,
schools, and businesses transform their
landscapes into native gardens. All plants listed
in this guide are native to Idaho or to adjacent
states with the same growing conditions.
The purpose of this guide is to:
• provide steps for developing and maintaining
native gardens
• provide examples of garden designs
• provide lists of locally adapted native plants
• aid in conserving water and attracting birds
and pollinators
• identify partners, local resources and funding
opportunities
Why Native Plants?
Urban gardens can provide important habitat
for animals such as birds and native
pollinators (bees, butterflies, moths,
hummingbirds). These gardens can be used
for nesting, foraging, shelter, and as stopovers
during spring and fall migration. Native
plants are adapted to the growing conditions
in our area, thus requiring less water than
introduced plants. They also support more
insects, including native pollinators, than
nonnative plants. This means more habitat
for native bees and more food for insecteating birds! Who needs a bird feeder when
you have a native garden?
Arrowleaf balsamroot, A. Hedrick
1
Section A
How to Get Your Garden Started
Some basic steps will help you in creating your garden. Your garden planning time will depend on the
size of your garden and the number of interested individuals. A backyard garden can be easily planned
and implemented within a few months. A community garden that serves many people may take up to
one year of planning prior to installation.
Basic Steps for a School or Community Garden
1. Form a team
2. Solicit input from staff, partners, or community
3. Create design
4. Present design to person approving garden
5. Develop schedule and coordinate with contractors
or maintenance staff
6. Write grant proposals
7. Raise funds
8. After funding is awarded, refine plant list based
on availability and order plants
9. Clear site of existing vegetation
10. Install hardscaping such as boulders and seating
11. Add topsoil if needed
12. Install irrigation
13. Plant
14. Protect plantings with temporary fencing
15. Install interpretive signs
16. Develop and implement garden maintenance plan
Go team!
Basic Steps for a Home Garden
1. Decide what your garden priorities are (water savings, pollinators, monarch butterflies, birds etc.).
2. Decide how much time you have to spend on a garden (little time = fewer plants that require less work).
3. Choose a design from this guide and adapt it to your space or create your own from the provided plant lists.
4. Figure out the cost of the garden. If you lack the funds, look for fall sales, grow plants from seed, or
look for plant donations from fellow gardeners.
5. Clear the area to be planted.
6. Add compost and topsoil, if needed.
7. Install irrigation, if needed.
8. Plant.
9. Keep a planting plan. It helps with maintenance.
10. Mark your plants so you can tell the difference between what you planted and what is a weed.
11. Maintain your garden.
2
Forming a Team
If you are planning a community garden you will want to have the support of a garden team. Ideally, you
will have a team of people who bring different skills to your group. Formalizing the group in some way,
either by giving it a name or working it into an organization program, will help build continuity of the
project. Some examples of garden team memberships are listed.
• Garden Coordinator—can be a parent or school staff but should definitely be a formal position on
the Parent Teacher Association/Organization. They will organize the garden team to complete all the
garden activities such as installation and periodic maintenance.
• Principal—Your principal will need to be a strong advocate for the garden. They will often need to
write support letters for some of the grants or sign off on grant applications. They are also critical as
a communication pathway between your team and the rest of the school.
• Maintenance Staff—They will be helpful in locating utility lines and irrigation options. They may be
conducting some of the work.
• Resource Professional—Such as a botanist or biologist.
• Teachers and Students—Garden Clubs and Jr. Naturalist Programs are a great way to involve students
and give the student body a voice in the garden design.
Students at Roosevelt Elementary conduct pollinator counts on native plants in their outdoor classroom.
3
Gathering Input
For school and community gardens, gathering input early in the process will foster ownership of the
project and promote sustainability. The input you receive will help you tailor the project to the needs of
the users of the garden. For example, a community may desire a neighborhood gathering place that could
be created by including an open seating area with shade from the sun. An educator may have curriculum
objectives that could be met by specific plantings. A sample school questionnaire is included below.
—SCHOOL QUESTIONNAIRE—
For Teachers
•
What curriculum topics would you like to teach in a hands-on outdoor nature setting?
•
How can you meet the needs of the curriculum topics in terms of types of plants or habitats?
•
Do you prefer on-the-ground seating, boulders, benches, or other options?
•
Would work tables be useful to you? Do you anticipate using a permanent type easel?
•
Any other concerns that we should be aware of when designing the garden?
•
Do your students have special needs that could be addressed in the garden for either access or use?
For Students
•
What would you like to do in an outdoor classroom?
•
Draw or write what you would like to experience in the nature garden that will be part of our outdoor classroom.
•
Check activities that interest you:
___Quiet reading time
___Science experiments
___Observing Insects and pollinators
___Wildlife habitat
4
___Learning recipes using wild native plants
___Identifying plants native to your backyard
___Nature drawing or arts/crafts
___Staging plays
Section B
Funding
You can install a native garden for as little as $100 up to $25,000 and beyond depending on the size of the
garden, the amount of labor you are willing to perform yourself, and your access to free materials such
as plants, mulch, and tools. Knowing the potential components that you may want to include and the
general costs will help you build a budget when writing grant proposals.
Costs to consider in your budget:
•
Soil and rock mulch: $100-$4,000
•
Boulders: $350 for 3-5 seat sized rocks
•
Labor for rock placing and spreading mulch: $1,000-$3,000
•
Native plants: $0-$2,000
•
Art and interpretive signs: $2,000 for single panel medium sign out of metal and acrylic
•
Equipment rental: $500-$750
•
Irrigation materials: $1,300-$3,500
•
Irrigation labor: varies by contractor
•
Tools (wheelbarrows, shovels, pruning shears,...)
•
Garden benches, bee boxes, bird bath, bird feeders: cost varies
Outdoor amphitheater seating in Hawthorne Elementary’s garden, which doubles as a community gathering area and outdoor
student orchestra space.
5
Grants
Seek out free labor or material options (e.g., Eagle Scout projects, school PTO, volunteer parents, local
garden clubs, master gardener projects, horticulture classes or contact big box stores for donations of
materials/grant programs).
BLM Master Funding Opportunities, Native Plant Conservation and Restoration Program
www.blm.gov/services/financial-assistance-and-grants
Boise Public Library Grants
www.boisepubliclibrary.org/research-learning/nonprofit-funding-resources/
Boise Public Schools Education Foundation
boiseschoolsfoundation.com/college-prep/other-scholarships/
Boise Urban Garden School Grants
www.boiseurbangardenschool.org/
The Grants Learning Center
www.grants.gov
Idaho Botanical Garden Lunaria Grant
idahobotanicalgarden.org/lunaria-grant-program/
Idaho Environmental Education Association Grants.
www.idahoee.org/ee-educator-grants/
Idaho Native Plant Society; Education, Research, and Inventory Grant
idahonativeplants.org/erig/Announcement_for_2016_ERIG.pdf
Idaho Power Employee Community Fund
www.idahopower.com/NewsCommunity/Community/empCommServFund.cfm
Lowe’s Toolbox for Education
www.toolboxforeducation.com
Micron Community Grants
www.micron.com/foundation/community/grants
National Environmental Education Foundation Grants
www.neefusa.org/grants
National Fish and Wildlife Federation Grants
www.nfwf.org/whatwedo/grants/Pages/home.aspx
Project Learning Tree
www.plt.org/resources/greenworks-grants/
The Cornell Lab. Youth and birds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/help-fund-your-community-event-with-a-mini-grant-from-celebrate-urban-birds/
Vehicle Grants (e.g., Subaru, toyota, etc)
www.subaru.com/csr/soa-foundation.html
Wildones Seeds for Education Grant
www.wildones.org/seeds-for-education/
6
Section C
Design Tips
•
Garden Design
Gardens of any size or shape create habitat for
wildlife and beautiful spaces for people to enjoy.
They don’t have to be complicated or expensive.
In this section, we present examples of small gardens to help you create a garden of your own, plus
tips on design elements for a more polished effect.
And remember, all of our garden designs can be
scaled down if you are just a beginner and want to
start small or they can be expanded if you have the
experience and are ready for a larger garden.
•
The themed gardens in this section are just an
inspirational starting point for you. Educational
goals can be creatively worked into your garden
design. Some schoolyard garden design ideas for
early learners include:
• an alphabet garden—use plants that begin
with the letters of the alphabet and label them
• a color garden—use plants of every color.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Start small! When learning how to garden,
start with a small space and select just a few
plants. You can always add to your garden later.
Clearly delineate your garden with a border
or maintained edge to demonstrate that it is a
purposeful space.
Place tall plants in the back of the garden if
your space backs up to a building
If your space is visible from both sides, place
your tallest plants in the middle of the garden
Use anchor species such as large shrubs or
trees to create structure and year round interest and round out with seasonally flowering
filler perennials.
Plant a ground cover or low stature filler plant,
or use a thick mulch to suppress weeds.
Create depth by contouring the ground with
berms and planting taller plants on mounds.
Use multiples of plants in groups of 3s or 5s.
For larger gardens, use mass plantings of a single species for impact and to suppress weeds.
For public gardens, install an interpretive sign
that clearly states the purpose of the garden.
For school gardens, select plants with spring
and fall blooms and plants with winter interest
for when students are in school.
For community gardens, add seating such as
boulders and benches.
Anticipate areas of high traffic where garden
trampling could occur. Plant masses of rugged
plants such as bunchgrasses that can withstand
foot traffic or line with shrubs that will prevent entrance to the area.
A table of native plants with their
growth requirements and benefits is
included in Section F. All of these plants
are commercially available and perform
well in garden settings.
The Firewise Garden, Idaho Botanical Garden
7
Native Gardens in Southwest Idaho
Public Perception
1. Roosevelt Elementary Outdoor Classroom
908 E. Jefferson St., Boise 83712
2. Hawthorne Elementary Outdoor Classroom
2401 W. Targhee Street, Boise 83705
3. BLM Ethnobotany Garden and Sage-grouse
Habitat Demonstration Garden
5948 Development Way, Boise 83705
4. Lewis and Clark Garden, and Firewise Garden
at the Idaho Botanical Garden
2355 Old Penitentiary Road, Boise 83712
5. MK Nature Center
600 S Walnut St, Boise 83712
6. Hewlett Packard Campus
11311 W. Chinden Blvd., Boise 83714
7. Chinden Garden Club Garden (Library)
6015 N. Glenwood St., Garden City 83714
8. Sage International Charter School
431 E Parkcenter Blvd., Boise 83706
9. Lowell Elementary School
1507 N 28th St, Boise 83703
10. Peace Valley Public Charter School
1845 S. Federal Way, Boise 83705
11. Boise Fire Station 12
3240 State Highway 21, Boise 83716
12. Lake Hazel Library
10489 W. Lake Hazel Road Road, Boise 83709
13. Suez Water
8248 W Victory Road, Boise 83709
14. Idaho Botanical Garden: Idaho Native Plant
Garden, Lewis and Clark Native Plant Garden,
Western Waterwise Garden, Firewise Garden
and Water Conservation Landscape
2355 N. Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise, ID 83712
15. Liberty Elementary
1740 E. Bergeson St., Boise, ID 83706
Interpretive signs can go a long way to educate the
public about your new garden. As with anything
new, expect concerns when converting grass to a
more natural appearing garden.
• When looking for garden space in your
community, convert unsightly, weedy areas to
beautiful gardens. The community will be more
accepting.
• Interpretive sign clearly stating garden purpose
that is visible to the public.
• Clumps (mass) of plantings and structural
elements such as walkways, boulders, benches,
and art.
• Well manicured edges to the garden.
• Adequate anchor plants such as shrubs and trees.
• Plants that flower throughout the seasons.
• Plants that retain their shape.
• Plants that don’t sucker or spread.
• Use bee houses instead of piles of rock, wood,
or leaves for winter insect habitat (page 23).
8
If gardens are in a public setting such
as a school or community area the
access will need to be Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.
Pathways should be at least 3 ft. wide
and surfaced with material that a wheelchair can negotiate, such as pavement
or packed crushed rock (decomposed
granite).
Roosevelt Elementary native garden with border delineated by rocks and maintained edges.
Anchor Plants
Anchor Plants
Anchor Plants
Sea
s
lly
ona
Flo
ing
wer
Pe
ni
re n
als
BLM Boise District ethnobotany garden has seasonally-flowering perennials and anchor plants in the back.
9
Suez Water native garden with border delineated by rocks and maintained edges.
Quail garden art in the Suez Water native garden.
10
Plant low-growing plants in front and tall plants in back.
11
Bird Habitat Garden
Planting a garden that provides food and shelter will attract birds which, with their bright colors and
beautiful songs, will enhance visitor enjoyment of the garden. Birds prefer dense shrubs as hiding places
from which they venture out to find food. Most birds eat some combination of seeds, fruits and insects
so a garden that provides a little of each is more likely to attract a variety of birds. Larger gardens with
trees and art can also provide habitat for nesting and perches where birds will fill the air with song.
Features of a bird habitat garden include:
• plantings rich in berry producing shrubs
• high diversity of seasonal plants with focus on Aster and Buckwheat families for seed eaters
• plants such as fireweed and milkweed that support strong insect communities for insect eaters
• range of heights of shrubs for nesting/roosting habitat
BIRD HABITAT GARDEN
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
BLOOM TIME
FLOWER / FOLIAGE COLOR
PLANT HEIGHT
GROUND COVER AND FILLER
Acrtostaphylos uva-ursi
Kinickinick
Festuca idahoensis
Idaho Fescue (Grass)
Spring
Pink
Early Summer Green, Blue-green
6”
18”
Gilia aggregata
Heuchera cylindrica
Pseudoroegneria spicata
Scarlet Gilia
Alumroot
Bluebunch Wheatgrass
Early Summer Red
Early Summer White
Early Summer Yellow
30”
12”
FLOWERING PLANTS
Asclepias speciosa
Eriogonum compositum
Eriogonum strictum
Erigeron subtrinervis
Eriogonum umbellatum
Gaillardia aristata
Hymenoxys acaulis
Tetraneuris acaulis
Showy Milkweed
Arrowleaf Buckwheat
Blue Mountain Buckwheat
Threenerve Fleabane
Sulfur Buckwheat
Blanket Flower
Orange Sneezeweed
Sundancer Daisy
Mid-Summer
Early Summer
Fall
Summer-Fall
Spring
Mid-Summer
Spring
Mid-Summer
Pale pink, white
White-cream
White flowers, silver foliage
Purple
Yellow
Red-yellow
Yellow-orange
Yellow
48”
12”
12”
24”+
12”
24”
30”
12”
White
Cream
NA
60”+
96”+
20’+
TREE AND SHRUB STRUCTURE
Spring
Amalanchier alnifolia
Western Serviceberry
Cercocarpus ledifolius
Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany Spring
Juniperus sp.
Juniper (Tree)
Spring
Krascheninnikovia lanata Winterfat
Early Summer White, silver
30”
Prunus virginiana*
Rhus trilobata
Sambucus nigra cerulea*
Chokecherry
Lemonade Bush
Blue Elderberry
10’+
36”+
10’
Sorbus scopulina
Symphoricarpos albus
Mountain Ash
Snowberry
Spring
White
Spring
Yellow
Early Summer White flowers, purple/
black fruits
Spring
White
Spring
Pink
* Very good for birds but requires annual pruning and shaping or will occupy a wide space.
12
13’
48”
13
Scale: 1 inch = 5 feet
This garden = 45’x30’
KK/AR
SD/B
Mo
Blue
Mountain
Mahogany or
Juniper
= idaho fescue
= bluebunch wheatgrass
u
KK/AR = kinnickinnic and/or alumroot
SB = snowberry
SD/B = sundancer daisy and/or blanketflower
WF = winterfat
) Bu
ckw
hea
t
G a rd e n Ed g e
Sulfur Buckwheat
SB
SB
Blue Mou
WF
SB
Shapes show planting areas with 3-5+ plants. Shrub shapes are single plants.
Bird Habitat Garden Example
SD/B
r A r ro w l e a f
ntain (o
SB
Threenerve Fleabane
Showy Milkweed
ntain (or
Arrowlea
WF
SD/B
heat
WF
f ) Buckw
KK/AR
Chokecherry or
Lemonade Bush
Bird Habitat Garden
Blanket Flower
Blue Mountain Buckwheat
Sundancer Daisy Alumroot
Snowberry Sulfur Buckwheat
14
Bird Habitat Garden
Winterfat
Threenerve Fleabane
Arrowleaf Buckwheat
Showy Milkweed
Blue Elderberry Kinnikinnick
15
Bird Habitat Garden
Juniper
Mountain Ash
Oakleaf Sumac
Orange Sneezeweed
Scarlet Gilia
Serviceberry
16
Pollinator Habitat Garden
Management for Pollinators:
The whir of hummingbird wings and buzzing
from bees is the sound of a vibrant pollinator garden. Gardening for pollinators provides beauty to
the landscape and habitat for pollinators such as
hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, moths, and beetles. A garden that includes a mix of colors, bloom
times, and flower shapes will host a large diversity of pollinators that often have unique flower
preferences. Often unnoticed, insect pollinators
are our most abundant wildlife. They also support
other creatures by providing food for birds andbats. Bees pollinate approximately 75 percent of
the fruits, nuts, and vegetables in the United States
and over 8o percent of flowering plants. Planting a
garden for these small creatures can make a big
difference to our environment. Features of a pollinator garden include:
• plants with staggered blooming times to
provide nectar and pollen from spring to fall
• a diversity of flower types/shapes for different
pollinators
• day and evening flowering plants
• plants that support both larval and adult
phases of pollinating insects
• provide nesting habitat such as bare soil areas
and dormant plant stems over winter
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use a fine gravel mulch such as decomposed
granite or leave some bare areas for groundnesting bees.
Include logs and hollow stems for cavity
nesting bees.
Piles of rocks, leaf litter or logs will provide
overwintering habitat or make a bee house for
a cleaner look.
Water in early morning when mother bees
are home in the nest. Daytime watering can
flood or obscure nest sites for bees who are out
foraging, making it hard to locate their nests
when they return.
Do not use landscape fabric/barrier in the
entire garden. It is impermeable to ground
nesting insects.
When pruning or thinning, leave 12-15 inch
stubs of hollow stems for nesting bees.
Following spring pruning of plants, leave
cuttings of hollow-stemmed plants bundled
on site.
Color Preferences of Pollinators
bees—blue, purple, white, yellow
butterflies—red, orange, yellow, pink, purple
moths—white, pale pinks, yellows
Flower Shape Preferences of Pollinators
long tubular flowers—hummingbirds, moths,
butterflies, long-tongued bees
disk flowers (daisy shaped)—bumblebees and
butterflies
bell shaped flowers—long tongued bees and
bumblebees
bowl flowers (buttercup shaped)—flies,
beetles, honey bees and solitary bees
pea shaped flowers— honey bees and solitary
bees
Skipper Butterfly, A. Hedrick
17
POLLINATOR HABITAT GARDEN
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
BLOOM TIME
FLOWER / FOLIAGE COLOR
PLANT HEIGHT
GROUND COVER AND FILLER
Antennaria microphylla
Acrtostaphylos uva-ursi
Cleome lutea*
Cleome serrulata*
Festuca idahoensis
Dwarf Pussytoes
Kinickinick
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Yellow Bee Plant
Idaho Fescue (Grass)
Early Summer
Spring
Summer
Summer
Early Summer
Pink
Pink
Purple
Yellow
Green, Blue-green
5”
6”
48”
60”
18”
Asclepias speciosus
Showy Milkweed
Mid-Summer
Pale pink,white
48”
Epilobium canum
Hummingbird Trumpet
Summer
Red
8”
Eriogonum heracleoides
Wyeth Buckwheat
Summer
Cream
12”
Eriophyllum lanatum
Wooly Sunflower
Summer
Yellow
8”
Eriogonum microthecum
Slender Buckwheat
Fall
White-Pink
12”
Eriogonum strictum
Blue Mountain Buckwheat
Fall
White flowers, silver foliage
12”
Monarda fistulosa
Wild Bergamot
Summer
Purple
24”+
Oenothera caespitosa
Tufted Evening Primrose
Summer
White
6”
Penstemon procerus
Little Flower Penstemon
Spring
Purple
12”
Sphaeralcea munroana
Munro’s Globemallow
Summer
Orange
24”
Spring
Summer
Fall
White
White
Yellow
60”+
72”
24”+
Summer
Purple
36”
FLOWERING PLANTS
TREE AND SHRUB STRUCTURE
Amelanchier alnifolia
Serviceberry
Chamaebatiaria millefolium Fernbush
Ericameria nauseosus
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Use a dwarf variety
Salvia dorrii
Purple Sage
*Annual that may be an initial and temporary plant in the
garden. Can scatter seed during first year to provide quick
impact.
Calliope male hummingbird, A. Hedrick
18
19
DP
LFP
Scale: 1 inch = 5 feet
This garden = 45’x30’
WB
Rabbitbrush
WBW
DP
DP
Rock
Wool
DP
G a rd e n Ed g e
DP
HT
DP
Rock
Globemallow
Rock Bench
lower
y Sunf
SM
SM
Rocky Mountain or Yellow Bee Plant
WB
Rabbitbrush
DP
Shapes show planting areas with 3-5+ plants. Shrub shapes are single plants.
Pollinator Habitat Garden Example
DP
WB
Serviceberry
= bluebunch wheatgrass
HT = hummingbird trumpet
DP = dwarf pussytoes
LFP = littleflower penstamon
SM = showy milkweed
WB = wild bergamont
WBW = wyeth buckwheat
= idaho fescue
Su Wool
nfl y
o
w
er
DP
LFP
Purple Sage
DP
DP
Rabbitbrush
Fernbush
Hoary Aster
Pollinator Habitat Garden
Bluebunch Wheatgrass
Littleflower Penstemon
Idaho Fescue
Rosy Pussytoes
Wyeth Buckwheat
Fernbush
20
Pollinator Habitat Garden
Showy Milkweed
Blue Mountain Buckwheat
Globemallow Purple Sage
Serviceberry Wild Bergamot
21
Pollinator Habitat Garden
Hummingbird Trumpet Kinnikinnick
Rabbitbrush
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Wooly Daisy
Tufted Evening Primrose
22
Mason Bee
To create a bee house for leaf cutter or
mason bees, drill holes in a log or nontreated piece of wood that is at least 6
inches deep. Drill holes can vary in size
between 5/16 and 3/8 inch in diameter.
Drill 3-5 inches deep for small diamter
holes and 5+ inches deep for larger
diameter holes. Do not drill all the way
through the wood. Hang in sunny spot at
eye level so you can watch the activity!
Bee House and Bee Box at Sage International School
Butterfly on buckwheat
23
Monarch Butterfly Garden
The monarch butterfly is a beautiful orange and
black butterfly that is found throughout the
United States. They are known best for their
long-distance migrations to either Mexico or
California to overwinter. The western population
of monarchs (those west of the Rocky Mountains)
overwinter in California and breed in the western
states. The Snake River Plain of Idaho is one of
the best breeding areas for monarch butterflies in
the West. The western population of monarchs
has declined dramatically in the past couple of
decades likely due to loss of habitat and pesticides.
You can help monarchs by planting a garden with
specific features:
• Milkweed for caterpillars—the only plant
adults will lay their eggs on and the only plant
the caterpillars will eat.
• Nectar plants for adults with overlapping
bloom times from late May to mid October.
Monarch butterfly on Showy Milkweed.
24
•
•
•
•
Flower colors that attract butterflies—red,
orange, yellow, pink, purple.
Plantings grouped by color to create a large
visual target that can be easily spotted by highflying monarchs
Puddling habitat (water and minerals) in the
form of damp areas of soil or a shallow dish
filled with water and pebbles.
No pesticides—herbicides and insecticides.
Once milkweed is established, check the underside
of leaves for eggs or for caterpillars. The eggs and
first phase of the caterpillar are tiny, so look carefully! Once the caterpillar reaches full size, it will
form a chrysalis and emerge as a butterfly approximately 10 days later. Milkweed takes two years to
bloom if it is grown from seed.
MONARCH BUTTERFLY GARDEN
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
BLOOM TIME
FLOWER / FOLIAGE COLOR
PLANT HEIGHT
GROUND COVER AND FILLER
Antennaria microphylla
Dwarf Pussytoes
Early Summer Pink
Cleome serrulata*
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant Summer
Purple
5”
48”
FLOWERING PLANTS
Asclepias speciosus**
Showy Milkweed
Mid-Summer Pale pink,white
4 ft
Asclepias incarnata
Swamp Milkweed
Mid-Summer Dark to pale pink
4 ft
Asclepias fascicularis**
Narrow-Leafed Milkweed
Mid-Summer Pale pink
3 ft
Erigeron speciosus
Showy Fleabane
Summer
Purple
2 ft
Eriogonum compositum
Arrowleaf Buckwheat
Summer
Yellow
1.5 ft
Eriogonum microthecum
Slender Buckwheat
Fall
White-Pink
1 ft
Eriophyllum lanatum
Wooly Sunflower
Summer
Yellow
1-2 ft
Gaillardia aristata
Blanketflower
Summer
Red/yellow
2 ft
Helianthus annuus
Common Sunflower
Summer
Yellow
5 ft
Heliomeris multiflora
Showy Goldeneye
Summer
Yellow
1 ft
Hymenoxys hoopesii
Owl’s-Claws
Summer-Fall
Yellow
2 ft
Monarda fistulosa
Wild Bergamot
Summer
Purple
2+ ft
Monardella odoratissima
Coyote Mint
Summer
White/pink
1 ft
Sphaeralcea
Globemallow
Summer
Orange
2 ft
Solidago canadensis
Canada Goldenrod
Late summer/fall
Yellow
5 ft
SHRUB STRUCTURE
Ericameria nauseosus
Salvia dorrii
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Purple Sage
Fall
Summer
Yellow
Purple
24”+
36”
*Annual likely to reseed.
** Spreads once established
Monarch butterfly on Tapertip Hawksbeard
Showy Goldeneye
25
Goldenrod
etflo
wer
Purple Sage
Rabbitbrush
Blank
Wild Bergamot
Showy Fleabane
Blanketflower
Sunflowers
Showy Milkweed
Wild Bergamot
Showy Fleabane
Blanketflower
Showy Goldeneye
Arrowleaf
Buckwheat
G a rd e n Ed g e
Shapes show planting areas with 3-5+ plants. Shrub shapes are single plants.
Monarch Butterfly Garden Example
Goldenrod
ower
Rabbitbrush
Purple Sage
B
l a n ke
tfl
26
Monarch Butterfly Habitat Garden
Showy Milkweed
Showy Fleabane
Blanket Flower Arrowleaf Buckwheat
Showy Goldeneye
Rabbitbrush
27
Monarch Butterfly Habitat Garden
Owls Claws
Canada Goldenrod
Common Sunflower
Purple Sage
Coyote Mint
Dwarf Pussytoes
28
Monarch Butterfly Habitat Garden
Narrow-leaf Milkweed
Swamp Milkweed
Globemallow
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Slender Buckwheat
Wild Bergamot
29
Sensory Garden
Awaken your senses with the tart taste of golden
currants and the sweet smell of bitterbrush in a
sensory garden full of native plants. Gardens can
promote learning and memory through sensory
stimulation, especially through scented plants such
as coyote mint and sagebrush. Creating a physical
connection with a garden engages us and draws
our attention more fully to the present. When all
of our senses are activated, our brain function increases dramatically. This can be an effective tool if
you are hosting educational events in your garden.
Coyote Mint
30
Features of a sensory garden:
• Plants that are hardy to withstand regular
handling
• A range of contrasting textures and shapes for
visual interest
• Low-growing plants that are in reach of young
explorers
• Features such as natural-material wind chimes,
art, and rocks with interesting surfaces
SENSORY GARDEN
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
BLOOM TIME
FLOWER / FOLIAGE COLOR
PLANT HEIGHT
GROUND COVER AND FILLER
Hesperostipa comata
Needle and thread
grass
Spring
Green
2 ft
Achnatherum hymenoides
Indian ricegrass
Spring
Green
1 – 2 ft
Monardella odoratissima
Coyote mint
Spring - Summer
Purple
1 ft.
Geum triflorum
Prairie smoke
Summer
Rose-red
1 ft
Salvia dorrii
Purple sage
Spring - Summer
Blue - Purple
2 -3 ft
Geranium viscossimum Sticky geranium
Spring - Summer
Pink
2 ft
Mentzelia laevicaulis
Smoothstem blazingstar
Summer
Yellow
1 – 3 ft
Asclepias fascicularis
Narrow-leafed milkweed
Summer
Pink, White, Purple
2 – 3 ft
Oenothera caespitosa
Tufted evening primrose
Spring - Summer
White
6 in
FLOWERING PLANTS
TREE AND SHRUB ANCHOR PLANTS
Cercocarpus ledifolius
Curl-leaf mountain
mahogany
Spring
Yellow
10 – 15 ft
Artemisia tridentata
ssp. vaseyana
Mountain big sagebrush
Fall
Yellow
6 ft
Purshia tridentata
Bitterbrush
Spring
Yellow
4-6 ft
Ribes aureum
Golden currant
Spring
Yellow
5 ft
SENSES
SCENT
TOUCH
VISUAL
Coyote mint (leaves)
Smoothstem blazingstar (Velcro-like
leaves)
Prairie smoke (seed
heads with feathery
plumes)
Sagebrush (leaves)
Sticky geranium
(sticky leaves that trap
and partially digest
insects)
Needle and thread
grass (shiny seeds with
long tails that blow in
wind)
Bitterbrush (flowers
and leaves)
Needle and thread
grass (sharp tipped
seed head with long
tail that curls when
moist)
Smoothstem blazingstar (large yellow star
shaped flowers)
Evening primrose
(flowers)
Curl-leaf mountain
mahogany (feathery
seed plumes and thick
leathery leaves)
Sticky geranium
(bright pink flowers
with nectary guides on
petals)
TASTE
Golden currant (tart
ed