Fern Creek Homeowners Encourage Love of Native Plants

With a background as a park ranger, it’s not surprise that Stephen Brown loves nature. So when he and Anne Milligan moved to Louisville, they wanted to find a place with lots of trees. This led them to Fern Creek and a home surrounded by beautiful, tall trees and a couple koi ponds. The trees stayed but the koi ponds were taken out. These Fern Creek homeowners have made it their personal mission to grow native plants in their yard. Instead of stagnant koi ponds, they now have 83 different species of native plants on their land.

“Naturescaping” is the term now used for landscaping with native plants, and there are a number of benefits to using these plants rather than those imported from elsewhere. One obvious one is their beauty. Native plants often produce eye-catching flowers and plenty of seeds and fruits as well as stunning foliage in the fall. Because these plants grow in soil that is ideal for them, it’s easy to get them to look good. And speaking of easy, the low maintenance is another definite plus. Native plants require far less care than those unaccustomed to the soil and environmental conditions here which means less watering and fewer pesticides.

Another benefit is the development of available habitat areas for wildlife. Habitat is disappearing at a frightening rate today, but by growing native plants, even in urban areas, we provide the nectar needed by hummingbirds and butterflies and the seeds and insects that birds, squirrels, and other animals require. This also provides a community benefit as native planting continues to grow and nurture native wildlife through the generations.

There are hundreds of plants native to Kentucky. Some of our native trees include the Ash Leaf, Striped, Red, and Sugar Maples, Yellow Buckeye, Eastern Redbud, Persimmon, Dogwood, Red and Yellow Oaks, and White Ash. Beautiful flowing plants include the Red Columbine, Pink Milkweed, Pawpaw, American Hornbeam, Trumpet Creeper, Lobed Tickseed, Cardinal Flower, Honeysuckle, Sweetbay Magnolia, Bluebell, and Wild Plum. And these are only a few! To find pictures and information about the hundreds of plants that are native to Kentucky, check out Wildflower Center.

Stephen Brown and Anne Milligan have realized their dream of living in a forest-like setting in Fern Creek. In order to share their interest in native plants, they have many different varieties available for sale at the Fern Creek Farmer’s Market at 6104 Bardstown Road from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays through September 17. To get a look at amazing pictures of their own naturscape, check out the Courier-Journal site. These Fern Creek homeowners have certainly made a beautiful impact not only on their immediate surroundings but on the whole community as well.