Growing Native

Early last year I read a book on the importance of native plants to an ecosystem, and since then I’ve been diligently working to plant a wide variety of natives in my yard. I’ve noticed an amazing increase in the number of birds, insects, and butterflies spending time around my home since starting this project, and I am now fully committed to trying to increase the biodiversity on my small plot of land by slowly replacing areas of grass with various native plants.

The leafy and vine-like laces on this rectangular shawl are both distinct and harmonious, just like my native plants. The simple, four-row repeat in the middle of the shawl keeps your eye moving, admiring the time you have spent making something beautiful, while the larger flower-tipped stems on each edge offer a lovely counterpoint. By starting with a provisional cast on, both ends of the shawl are identical without the need for any grafting.