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LATHRUP VILLAGE — The Lathrup Village Nature Group is inviting residents to attend “Native Plants for the Garden,” a talk by Adam Huttenstine and Reed Boskey from Michiganense Natives, a nursery in Plymouth.
The event is set to take place from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 27 in the community room at Lathrup Village City Hall, 27400 Southfield Road.
The discussion will highlight the benefits that native plants provide to both wildlife and gardeners.
Native plants offer food and habitat, contributing to increased species’ diversity while also presenting gardeners with a wide variety of beautiful yet low-maintenance options.
The speakers will recommend specific species that are suited for a variety of light, moisture and soil conditions, and share ideas for constructing native gardens that appear both natural and wild.
The talk will cater to both beginners and experienced gardeners and conclude with an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.
“We’re very proud of this being our inaugural presentation with Michiganense Natives because natives are really important to people, and so the more information they can get, the better it is. And so that’s going to be what we’re doing for the first quarter,” Nancy Perchard said.
Perchard founded the Lathrup Village Nature Group about five years ago as a Facebook page during the pandemic, which was an outlet for nature lovers in the area to share everything from gardening tips and tricks to deer and animal photos.
She explained that as COVID-19 restrictions lifted and people became more comfortable with in-person gatherings, she talked to some of the 275 members about doing a garden tour.
“Two years ago, we did the Lathrup Village Garden Tour, and it was a tremendous success. We were very, very, very proud of it. And then last year, we did the Home and Garden Awards, where we went around and we selected houses that were just absolutely outstanding,” Perchard said.
According to her, since going live, the group has been well-received by the community.
“We called it ‘Rock the Village’ and gave them signs to put in the front of their house and talked about them, and it made a lot of people very, very happy,” Perchard said.
She added that the upcoming talk is part of the group’s goal to do quarterly events that engage and educate the community in all things nature.
She shared that the group also cares for a few gardens throughout the city, including some pocket gardens in the city, like the Veterans Grove and the Prairie Garden. In addition, the group helps with beautification efforts, such as helping the Downtown Development Authority Beautification Committee plant flowers and baskets along Southfield Road.
Perchard shared some thoughts about Boskey presenting to the group.
“He’s on the Lathrup Village Nature Group Planning Committee (and) he’s been a tremendous asset,” Perchard said. “This is his company, Michiganense Natives, that is going to be doing this native plant presentation. We’re super excited about it.”
Boskey said that he is also excited to be part of the group.
“I guess I’ve just sort of organically gotten involved in a lot of things around the city because of my interest in native plants.,” Boskey said.
Boskey described himself as a newer member of the Lathrup Village Nature Group. He joined after meeting Perchard through the Lathrup Village Tree Committee, and she encouraged him to get more involved with the group.
Boskey shared that the Michiganense Natives nursery opened last year. The nursery’s name comes from the Michigan Lily, lilium michiganense. Boskey handles the garden installs and maintenance side of things, whereas Huttenstine focuses more on the nursery side of operations.
When Boskey moved to Lathrup Village about five years ago, he was excited about the possibilities that long-term gardening in his new space would bring.
He quickly became passionate about planting native species after he and his wife established a pollinator strip. The strip soon attracted a variety of buzzing creatures, and from that point on, he focused on finding ways to better support the pollinators in his garden, which led him to native planting.
He explained that his garden started as a “small vision that has grown so much since then.” Boskey confessed that while he isn’t much of a planner, he strives to make the wild look intentional.
“A well-designed native garden is cheaper to maintain and less work than traditional gardens,” Boskey said. “It has no need for extra water, once established, except in extreme droughts. No need for pesticides, fertilizers or soil amendments, and (it) does better with less tending.”
Boskey recommended free smartphone apps that can help with plant and animal identification, such as “iNaturalist” and “PictureThis.” For iPhone owners, there’s one built into the photos app.
He suggested that beginners interested in plating natives try an approach called “addition by subtraction.”
Boskey explained that this method means that if you have extra space, you’ll do more for wildlife and the environment if you plant new areas with natives rather than tearing up existing beds of non-natives.
For Boskey, returning to nature by planting Michigan native plants has been a gratifying experience. He enjoys watching the life in his garden as birds perch on the compass plant, which bears a likeness to a sunflower, and seeing hummingbirds flutter around the vibrant red Royal Catchfly.
He said he would love to see his neighbors plant natives so they could create a continuous path.
“The big hope is, if everyone just planted a few species, a few native plants each, I think we could make some huge change,” Boskey said.
Admission to attend is $10 at the door. Attendees will receive a free pack of native seeds with every ticket.
For more information, contact Pam Shermeyer of the Lathrup Village Nature Group at (248) 252-7687 or via email at 1800sherm@comcast.net.
The Lathrup Village Nature Group is on Facebook under “Lathrup Village Nature Group.”
For more information on Michiganense Natives, visit www.michiganensenatives.com.
To check for a list of invasive plants, visit https://oaklandinvasivespecies.org.
