Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
Bay Hay and Feed is a wonderful, old fashioned farm store on Bainbridge Island. You’ll find everything from fresh eggs to gifts alongside a large plant nursery and feed store. Created by Howard Block and Ce-Ann Parker in 1979, Bay Hay and Feed has become a neighborhood staple. It is also known for the iconic Bay Hay Shirts. Located in a 1912 building, Bay Hay and Feed changed ownership in 2022 when longtime manager Els Heijne and her family took over. Sustainability is a big part of the Bay Hay story, and part of that is embracing native plants.
Read on for some expert tips from Els on how to incorporate native plant species into your garden.
What are the benefits of using native plants in landscaping?
You know your plants will thrive, if planted in the correct environment. Most natives need shade from big trees. Once established, those plants are great for the local animals and insects.
What is a small change gardeners can make in a larger space?
Plant trees! Plus, create a rain garden with the water run off from your roof. It’s important that we catch the water so it can go back into the earth rather than into Puget Sound. You can plant native plants in and around the rain garden, depending how much shade there is. If not, you can use blueberries, red and yellow twig dogwood and others that like wet feet.
What should folks focus on in springtime to set their yard/garden up for success during the rest of the year?
Mulch! That way, you might not have to water in the summer. Non-native plants do much better if they get fertilizer early in the spring. But make sure you use organic fertilizer.
What are some trends you are seeing with landscaping/gardening projects?
Pollinator plants are big. [You can learn more about supporting pollinators here.]
We recently heard about SEATAC’s new native species requirements. What can smaller businesses do to make an impact?
If it is all concrete around you and no shade, it will be hard to plant a native garden. Instead, create a rain garden or two to catch all that water that runs off your business!
Do you have any other tips or suggestions?
Don’t tear out a beautiful garden to install a native garden. Such a waste! If you have a lot of shade it would be great to plant natives but you can also add beautiful non-native shade plants in between, so your garden has more interest. Add pollinator plants to help the bees, butterflies and other insects and don’t clean up too much in your garden so beneficial insects can thrive.
Use organic fertilizer and don’t use bad chemicals to take care of an insect problem, weeds or fungus. You kill a lot of beneficial insects with that and poison the ground. There are a lot of products on the market now that are not bad for the environment.
A big thank you to Els and the team at Bay Hay and Feed! If you’d like to connect with them, you can visit them here on Bainbridge Island, visit their website, follow them on Facebook, or on Instagram. And, for more green living inspiration, check out our articles on eco-friendly home improvements and gardening benefits.
