Living Landscapes: Pros offer advice on making your yard attractive to humans, wildlife

Did you know the plants you use in your garden today can determine what nature will be like 20 -- even 50 -- years from now?

"Life is fueled by the energy captured from the sun by plants. The kind of plants we use will determine what animals are provided food, shelter and other requirements (in years to come)," writes Doug Tallamy on the American Forests website.

Tallamy, chairman of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, will be in town one week from today to speak on sustainable landscaping at "Plant Natives 2015: The Living Landscape."

The symposium is sponsored by the Tennessee Valley chapter of Wild Ones, which promotes the use of indigenous plants as well as sound landscaping practices such as smart use of water and reducing the use of pesticides, according to Sally Wencel, vice president of the local chapter.

Too often in the mind of the uninformed, the idea of natural landscaping is synonymous with overgrown yards gone wild, Wencel says, and that's not it at all.

"We're not all about 'stop mowing your lawn and let everything grow,'" she laughs. "People think we promote messy yards, and that is not true.

"You can make a very formal yard using native plants. We are stuck in this idea that only ornamentals are suitable, but native plants can be ornamental. I live in a very conservative neighborhood, and my front yard looks more formal than people would expect. It's the way I use native plants in my design," she explains.

Wencel says Tallamy will speak on why plants that evolve in combination with local animals provide for their needs better than plants grown elsewhere. He also will discuss what homeowners need to restore biodiversity to their properties and how to make landscapes living ecosystems.

Tallamy will be joined at the symposium by two regionally known speakers: Rita Venable of Franklin, Tenn., author of "Butterflies of Tennessee," and former Chattanoogan Kelly Holdbrooks, director of programs at Southern Highlands Reserve in Lake Toxaway, N.C.

"We'll cover planning a butterfly garden, what butterflies need and what plants best suit those needs," says Venable. "Beginners and experienced gardeners alike should find useful information from the talk. I cover the basics, but with a Tennessee-specific focus."

Holdbrooks will offer ideas on garden design using native plants, accompanied by examples from the North Carolina arboretum and research center where she is employed.

"Kelly is a landscape architect who is responsible not only for programming but landscape design at Southern Highland Reserve," says Wencel. "She is the person who can really help you get over a lot of mental hurdles on designing landscapes."

The Wild Ones symposium committee has built in time for audience questions following each speaker. In addition, there will be door prizes, book signings and information booths.

"We encourage anyone who does any puttering around in the yard to commercial landscapers to attend because we are all stewards of the land," says Wencel.