When designing a native plant garden, layering is key to building beauty, structure, and habitat—just like in nature. Forests are perfect examples of layered ecosystems, with towering canopy trees, understory trees, shrubs, perennials, and ground cover all working together to support wildlife. By applying these natural layers to your garden, you can create a thriving, biodiverse space that offers year-round interest and vital habitat for pollinators and birds.
In this blog, I’ll share how I’m transforming my garden, layer by layer, to include more native plants while embracing a design approach inspired by the forest. From removing invasive species to selecting native perennials, trees, and shrubs, I’ll walk you through my process of building a layered landscape that supports both nature and my personal aesthetic.
By Mary Pellerito
Winter is the perfect time to talk about layering—not just in our clothing but in our gardens. When we dress for snowy weather, we start with a base layer closest to our skin, add a mid-layer for warmth, and finish with a top layer for protection against wind and snow. A healthy, vibrant garden also has layers, each playing a role in creating structure, beauty, and habitat.
In nature, forests are a perfect example of layered design. The canopy layer consists of tall trees such as oaks, maples, and pines. Beneath them, the understory layer includes smaller trees like serviceberry (Amelanchier), redbud (Cercis canadensis), and dogwood (Cornus florida). The shrub layer, which provides cover and nesting habitat, features plants like witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), viburnum (Viburnum spp.), and spicebush (Lindera benzoin). Below that, the herbaceous layer bursts with flowering perennials, grasses, sedges, and ferns. Finally, the ground layer, made up of mosses, leaf litter, and decaying wood, protects and enriches the soil.
Inspired by this natural structure, I’ve been redesigning my garden beds to shift from ornamental plantings to more native species. Since moving to this woodland property just over a year ago, I’ve observed each season closely—watching which plants emerged and which wildlife visited.
My property came with many non-native plants, some of which are deer favorites. Over the summer, I began relocating hostas and hydrangeas to more protected areas. The garden’s primary color palette—green, yellow, and white—forms a serene backdrop against the forest, while touches of blue, pink, and red provide seasonal highlights.
Tackling Invasives and Redesigning the North Garden
The first step in my redesign has been removing invasive plants such as sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), Vinca (Vinca minor), forget-me-nots (Myosotis spp.), and Russian olives (Elaeagnus angustifolia). This is an ongoing task, but I focused on one garden bed this past autumn—the one on the north side of our house.
This garden, visible from both the front door and a nearby window, centers on a stunning double-trunked paper birch (Betula papyrifera). The white bark pops against our green-painted house, creating a striking focal point. Moss already carpets much of the soil, providing a natural ground layer.
To enhance the herbaceous layer, I added native trillium (Trillium spp.) and ferns, which thrive in the cool, shaded conditions. This spring, I plan to introduce cream violets (Viola striata), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), and Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)—all native woodland species that will bloom and fade, leaving behind textured foliage.
For the shrub layer, I retained a low hedge of boxwoods. Though not native, their evergreen foliage adds structure and year-round interest. While I favor native plants for their ecological benefits, I also embrace a few beloved ornamentals like boxwood, roses, and hydrangeas. These represent only a small portion of my plantings, but they bring me joy and complement the native palette.
Blending Native and Ornamental for a Balanced Garden
My garden is not purely native, nor does it feature every forest layer. But it is a design rooted in nature’s patterns—layered for structure, beauty, and habitat. By blending native plants with a few cherished ornamentals, I am creating a garden that nurtures wildlife and brings me daily pleasure.
Mary Pellerito creates mostly native gardens in the north woods of Michigan. She is a member of the Wild Ones Grand Traverse (MI) Chapter.
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