Square Foot Backyard

This year, I want to add more native flowers around our backyard. I’ve done a few plantings here an there over the last few years, but time to be more intentional about it.

As I began looking into plants, I came across “ecoregion.” Per the EPA website: “Ecoregions are areas where ecosystems (and the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources) are generally similar.”

What is my ecoregion? Apparently 84a. See photo below from the Level IV map available here.

Surprise surprise, 84a is the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens. What does one do with that information?

For context, my hardiness zone is 7a (previously 6b in 2012). Per UMASS, the hardiness zone “helps gardeners to decide which plants are likely to survive through the winter in their particular location.” If my goal is to select more native flowers and plants to contribute positively to my ecosystem, then going solely by hardiness zone ignores some helpful information. Much of Southern Pennsylvania is in zone 7a, yet here is the ecoregion map.

Monarch Gardens has a succinct post about using ecoregions, and helpful links on how you can select plants for your ecoregion. Happy gardening!