Aimed at beginners and veteran gardeners alike, this book is designed to help Wisconsin gardeners find, plant, and maintain the best native species for their specific sites, however modest or lavish. 

Gardening with native plants is an ever-more popular practice—and for good reason.  Naturally suited to a region’s climate and soil, native plants tend to thrive, and to reflect a true “fit” with the environment. 

The Native Plant Profiles section offers comprehensive descriptions of some 600 species of flowers and groundcovers, trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens, grasses, and ferns native to Wisconsin, as well as information on planting, maintenance, and landscape uses for each plant.

With advice on the process of designing a natural garden that fits each lifestyle and family, the book will guide readers to the level of native plant landscaping that is just right for them. 

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Here is your essential guide to successful native-plant gardening in Wisconsin.

            Gardeners use native plants for many reasons. Native plants often require less maintenance, and they are better able to survive and grow in our state’s difficult soil and weather conditions. But equally appealing is the joy of connecting with our state’s natural heritage—and the satisfaction of creating a true sense of place rather than just another cookie-cutter landscape.

            Landscaping with Native Plants of Wisconsin is the first book designed to help you identify and effectively use our state’s native plants and native-plant communities in a typical home landscape. You’ll find the basic gardening information you need to successfully grow native plants. You’ll learn what level of native-plant landscaping is right for you and get expert advice on the process of designing a natural garden that fits your property, your lifestyle, and your family’s needs.

The book includes many plant lists. Some deal with common landscape problems and difficult sites, including deer-resistant plants, shade gardens, and water-wise gardens. Other lists tell you what native plants will work well in different garden styles, including water and rock gardens as well as plants to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

            The Native Plant Profiles section is an encyclopedia with comprehensive descriptions of 500 Wisconsin native-plant species, varieties, and cultivars of flowers, trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens, grasses, ferns, and groundcovers—including information on planting, maintenance, and landscape uses for each plant.

            Lynn M. Steiner is a native of Wisconsin and one of the Midwest’s best-known garden writers. Her enthusiasm for native plants and gardening stems from a childhood curiosity about all things natural, as well as over 20 years of tending her own extensive home gardens. For 15 years, she was the editor of Northern Gardener magazine, which earned numerous awards for “Overall Excellence” under her direction.

Lynn Steiner is a longtime editor, writer, and photographer for Northern Gardener