King County encourages gardeners to 'go native'

New online native plant guide highlights Native Plant Appreciation Week

As part of Native Plant Appreciation Week, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) is helping Pacific Northwest gardeners "go native" with their landscaping choices, thanks to a new online Northwest native plant landscaping guide that provides detailed information on more than 100 native species that are suitable for a variety of growing conditions.

The site, http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/pi/go-native/Index.aspx, is in the final stages of development. DNRP staff want the public's help in developing this new online tool by trying out the sample Web site and taking an online user survey. Web page visitors who complete the survey are eligible for a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to a local nursery. King County employees and their families are not eligible to win.

"Choosing native plants for a landscaping project makes sense for consumers and for the environment," said Greg Rabourn, host of "Yard Talk," the King County Television show on natural yard care.

Doug Rice, Rabourn's "Yard Talk" co-host, noted that native plants typically require less maintenance. "Native plants also require fewer pesticides than non-native plants, which saves money, and helps keep our local environment healthy for kids, pets and wildlife," Rice said.

The new Web site offers an extensive photo bank and searchable database as well as sample landscaping plans and customized plant lists visitors can save, send or print.

"We have scheduled regular updates to native plants list, and we encourage gardeners and landscapers to frequently visit our Web site," Rabourn said.

For more DNRP Northwest yard and garden information, visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/topics/yard-and-garden/ on the Internet, or e-mail yardtalk@kingcounty.gov.