You finally have some space to garden and want to fill it with native plants. But you quickly realize that after you leave in a year, or two, or five, the next person to rent or own you home may not maintain your garden, or (gasp) may tear up all the beautiful native plants you put in and replace them with non-natives.
As a grad student, this is something I've wrestled with myself. I was beyond thrilled to finally have some gardening space when I moved into my current townhome. The first year or two I eagerly filled my beds with native perennials, caring more about diversity than aesthetics or ease of care. But as I've gotten closer to finishing my Ph.D. and started thinking about what will happen to my garden when I move on, I've started to consider what I can do to make the next inhabitant of my home WANT to keep my native plants.
As a grad student, this is something I've wrestled with myself. I was beyond thrilled to finally have some gardening space when I moved into my current townhome. The first year or two I eagerly filled my beds with native perennials, caring more about diversity than aesthetics or ease of care. But as I've gotten closer to finishing my Ph.D. and started thinking about what will happen to my garden when I move on, I've started to consider what I can do to make the next inhabitant of my home WANT to keep my native plants.
While it's not always possible if you have limited space, planting woody plants is a great way to increase the chances your plants won't be removed. An established woody plant will not be mistaken for a weed and accidentally pulled, like a perennial might- not to mention they take more commitment to remove. And most woody plants can be maintained in a neat way that will conform to whatever expectations the next gardener has. Even if you have limited space, there are some lovely woody plants that are likely to last for many years and possibly many residents if you plant them. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is a favorite that I've planted in my garden. Not only does it stay small and produce copious beautiful flowers in summer, but it also will hum with insect activity. If you have a lot of space, consider planting some oaks, which support a wide range of caterpillars which feed breeding birds.
Don't have the space for even small woody plants? Focus on developing a neat, low maintenance garden design with perennials. As anyone who gardens with native plants knows, what's best for creating good habitat is not always what our neighbors want to look at. But if you're trying to create a garden that anyone can (and will want to) maintain after you've moved, it will likely need to thread the line between natural and manicured. A great way to make native plant gardens look intentional is with raised beds. Really anything that makes plants looks contained and intentional can help. Especially if you have limited space, it may be best to focus on patches of a few plant species, rather than a mix of many. Clustering one or two species in a small raised bed makes it much easier for the inheritor of your garden to recognize perennials vs. weeds. Even if you need to leave some empty, mulched space between plants to replicate the common aesthetic, it's better for some native plants to stay on the landscape after you move than to create a dense, diverse meadow that will be replaced with boxwood or English ivy in two years.