Native plant advice

New to native plants or looking for new ideas?

I’d love to help you on your ecological garden journey.

Sarah Savage, Tend Native Plants

While gardening with native plants for 15 years, I’ve learned plenty of practical tips for projects like converting lawn into garden and increasing biodiversity in your yard.

What I offer

Advice sessions to help you kick-start your native garden plans. We can meet in-person or virtually.

Pricing

$75 per hour plus $2.00 per mile travel fee for in-person meetings

Service area

For in-person meetings, I travel up to 30 miles. My service area includes west Madison, Middleton, Fitchburg, Oregon, New Glarus, Dodgeville, Mount Horeb, Mineral Point, Spring Green, Sauk City, and Waunakee.

Now booking March 2025 sessions!

If you’d like advice on a spring planting project, request a session to get the ball rolling!

Examples of topics we can cover…

  • How much sun do you get? Is your soil well-drained? What about soil type? Correctly identifying your site conditions is the key to a successful garden.

  • You’ve heard the buzz but aren’t sure where to start. Maybe you’re new to the region. How do I know if a plant is native here? Will it look messy? Will it attract ticks? Do I need to remove all non-native plants first?

  • The pollinators don’t care how your native plant garden is organized, but humans might. You can use native plants in traditional designs, or embrace the prairie aesthetic. Whatever your preference, I can share tips and resources to help you minimize maintenance and maximize biodiversity. And stick to your budget.

    P.S. If you have struggled with flopping plants or weed issues, garden design might be part of the problem.

  • With a new garden, it’s important to remove all existing vegetation before you start. There are a variety of ways to do this, from sod removal to solarization.

  • When a native garden reaches three years old, a new set of questions often arises: How do I know what’s a weed? Should I fertilize? When should I do fall cleanup? My plants are moving around and some have disappeared - help!

  • You have dead lawn under a tree and want to do something to benefit pollinators. Can anything grow in the shade?

    You inherited a neglected garden and aren’t sure whether to burn it all down or rehabilitate it.

    You have a wet area in the yard that is hard to mow. Could this be a native plant garden?

Bonus

Garden advice clients also receive a coupon for 20% off Tend Native Plants. Coupons are valid online and at in-person sales.