Lots of people in the Madison area are making their gardens a beautiful, vibrant landscape while supporting birds, bees, butterflies, and other native wildlife!

The native plant sale that we put on with Holy Wisdom Monastery, SOS Save Our Songbirds, and Johnson’s Nursery in Menomonee Falls was a huge success! Not just in terms of dollars but equally and even better in terms of number of bird- and insect-supporting native plants that have found their way into yards in Southern Wisconsin as a result.

Thank you to everyone who participated, and to our wonderful partners!

The plant sale team, from left to right: Brenna Marsicek (Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance), Lisa Gaumnitz (SOS Save Our Songbirds), Amy Alstad (Holy Wisdom Monastery), and Rob Dummert (Johnson’s Nursery). *Photo by Mary Dummert*

WHY GARDEN WITH NATIVE PLANTS?

Native birds and wildlife have evolved with native plants, making the timing of their blooming and nutrient availability ideally lined up.
Native plants support many, many times more insects than non-native plants, and insects are what birds (especially baby birds) need in vast numbers to survive!
Some native critters like monarch butterflies and Karner blue butterflies rely on native plants to lay eggs and raise their young. Plants like milkweeds and lupines are essential for these species to reproduce!
Native plants are accustomed to Wisconsin’s heat, cold, wind, rain, snow, and dry periods. That means once plants are established, you don’t have to baby them year to year, and they mostly take care of themselves. Less water, less fertilizing, and less fussing!
Native plants support soil health and biodiversity in soil microbes, filter water effectively and efficiently, and prevent erosion.

Plants from the SoWBA/HWM plant sale are unloaded and ready to be sorted for pick up. *Photo by Brenna Marsiceke/SoWBA*

Summary of the sale:

103 orders
570 new native plants in new homes
$13,648.75 total sales
Just over $1,000 in funds raised for Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and Holy Wisdom Monastery EACH — which will be put back into conservation efforts here in southern Wisconsin
Most popular plant ordered: Butterfly Milkweed

Thank you everyone for your support for our organizations and birds! If you didn’t get a chance to purchase native plants through this sale, places like Johnson’s Nursery and other native plant nurseries have a wonderful variety of plants that will suit your yard! The birds and birding community thank you!