Supertough Natives with Ian Caton
“Supertough Natives.” That is what many of us want in our landscapes and gardens but often wonder what they are and where to plant them. Ian Caton, founding principal of Wood Thrush Nursery in Floyd, VA, will give Triad NCNPS members and friends plenty of information as he presents “Supertough Natives: An overview of competitive native plants for difficult situations and the habitats from which they are found.” This Zoom presentation is scheduled for Jan. 5, 7:00 p.m., and is free and open to the public, but registration is required for non-members (please see link below).
To quote Ian fully:
“As a Landscape Designer and home gardener, I have often had ambitious plans for the creation of amazing diverse gardens with visions of Trilliums, Phlox, lady slippers and other plants wild and rare. Then reality set in with the first shovel of hard clay. Then extreme drought, pesky deer and other adversities took over. However, some plants tended to do extremely well even under the worst of conditions. I began to notice a pattern of where these plants tended to originate in the wild, and so I began to be able to predict how a plant would do based on the habitat it originated from. I then noticed how differently these plants behaved under cultivation than they did in the wild, becoming either more or less competitive. Eventually I learned how to combine my understanding of the habitat and competitiveness of plants in a way that works with difficult soils, harsh climates, and other pests.
This lecture is intended to provide the background to some of my understanding of how plants behave and the habitats they come from and how they can be utilized to truly create a low-maintenance landscape as well as highlighting a suite of plants that I have found to fit well into most any difficult situation. “
A graduate of Delaware Valley College with a BS in ornamental horticulture and environmental design, Ian brings his in-depth knowledge of native plants, natural communities, and their incorporation in the human environment to the design and installation of native landscapes for private residences and public spaces. From 2001 to 2013 he worked for Larry Weaner Landscape Associates in PA and currently serves as project consultant for the firm.
Ian has spoken at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Irvine Native Plant Seminar, and New Directions in the American Landscape conferences as well as other events.
Triad NCNPS members will receive the zoom invitation within a week or so of the program. All are welcome, but non-members need to register HERE in advance to receive the zoom invitation. NOTE: the invitation to non-members goes out the evening before the program, so if you register after January 4, be sure to read the registration page carefully to ensure you receive the invite.
