Plants With A Purpose: Our Pillars Of Sustainable Gardening

Sustainability Begins In Your Backyard

Our founder, David Salman, knew that plants play a vital role in the interconnected ecosystem that connects all life on Earth. He believed that “our gardens must be more than just beautiful.” He understood that to co-exist with the land and wildlife, we need to adapt our gardening practices, and to see plants for not only their beauty, but also their ability to preserve the environment. 

High Country Gardens was founded to provide gardeners with a diverse and ever-expanding palette of plants for the unique challenges of Western gardens – and for people across the country who believe that their garden can be more than just beautiful.

Our plants have a purpose: 

• They are Waterwise to thrive in dry climates,
• They provide Natural Nectar to nourish hummingbirds and other pollinators
• They help restore ecosystems by creating Habitat in our yards

Read on to learn more about our pillars of sustainable gardening.

With the right plants, your garden can do more than just survive dry conditions - it will thrive. Conserving water in our own backyard is one of the most important ways we can contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Waterwise gardening, also known as xeriscaping, promotes conscientious design with water conservation in mind.

In the American West, choosing low-water and xeric plants helps to protect and conserve our precious water sources. As drought conditions and water restrictions increase across the country, xeriscaping allows for beautiful, colorful, hardy gardens to thrive. Learn how to design your waterwise garden and choose the best plants for your yard.

Learn more about Waterwise Gardening

Don’t let your yard be a biological wasteland - plant habitat for a yard that’s filled with life. Birds and insects rely on plants for food and refuge, but their habitats have been lost due to development across the country. 

To create habitat in your yard, grow a diversity of plants, including trees and shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennials. This encourages a more diverse population of beneficial insects, which in turn supports songbirds.

Native plants are essential for wildlife habitat and thriving ecosystems. Butterflies and moths that require specific native host plants for their caterpillars to grow into adult butterflies. 

Learn more about Habitat Gardening

Pollinators are the pulse of the planet, and observing hummingbirds, bumblebees, honey bees, butterflies, and moths in our yards is one of the most rewarding experiences of gardening.  

Both native and introduced plants provide natural nectar for pollinators. Native plants are especially useful, as they have established relationships with wildlife; some specialist pollinators rely on native plants for their food sources. Old World plants such as Salvia, Lavender, and Nepeta feature nectar-rich flowers that nourish pollinators; they are useful for feeding honeybees - which are also introduced to North America. Grow plants with bloom times from spring through fall to supply natural nectar all season.

Learn more about Natural Nectar Plants