Leap of Faith: A ReWild Story
by Francesca Zahner
For several years, I had thoughts of tearing up my lawn and replacing it with native plants. The prospect was both exciting and frightening. I wanted to do it, but how? Season after season I passed up plant sales. With so many choices (which plants? where do I put them?), I felt overwhelmed and intimidated. Finally I asked Raju Rajan, the native garden whisperer of Port Washington, if he and his team would be willing to come up with a plant plan or package for newbies. And he delivered! Literally.
In spring 2022 ReWild Long Island offered a plant package online along with garden plans, useful links and a how-to about the Town of North Hempstead rebate program. Now I could start replacing my lawn with native plants. Though the process was easy, it certainly required some work; however, the plan spelled out the steps for newbies like me. I ordered my plants and then got to work measuring out the area of lawn I would replace, and covering it with cardboard and mulch both to discourage weeds and smother the turf grass. Then, I created a final layout for my garden design.
In early summer, I watched with dismay as the areas between the strips of cardboard I placed eventually allowed onion grass and other weeds through. When I got the native plant package with 50 “plugs” or small starter plants in the fall, my first step was to clean up and remove the weeds that had penetrated the barrier I had placed. (Next time, I will overlap cardboard at the edges and add more mulch.) Then I measured about a thousand times before I put the plugs in the ground to make sure I was giving them the distance they needed. I marked the plants as I went along, so I knew what was where. I used metal plant marker stakes I had purchased online and a special marker (because it turns out Sharpie ink does not last!). I also used plastic knives. Who knew they could be multi-purpose? Finally, I mulched over the area. I did notice weeds poking through after a while and I wish I had put down a more substantial layer of mulch. Skimping is not a good idea!
Yet now I am envisioning the garden I will have this spring and really looking forward to it… although I still worry that it won’t work out. I have to say though I do have a lot of faith. First, because native plants in the right site are going to thrive. Second, because in June 2022 I went on the first Sustainable Garden Tour organized by ReWild Long Island in Port Washington and saw how quickly these native plants flourished—in just one season! I was impressed by the different gardens’ diversity of styles, colors and designs!
I really never knew native plants were pretty but after the garden tour, my eyes were opened to the possibilities. And with that in mind, I took a leap of faith, covered my lawn, and planted. Here’s to spring and the promise of a new landscape!