By Sarina Dellinger
For the Salisbury Post

This week I am attending the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference at Western Carolina University. This is the 39^th year of this annual conference that has a record-breaking attendance of 450 people. Attendees are treated to inspiring lectures of conservation efforts across the Southeast ranging from gardens to maintenance efforts to growing operations. The buzz around ecology-focused landscaping and conservation efforts is exciting! The camaraderie of the conference leaves people with a sense that we can, and are, making a positive impact on the gardening community.

So what is with the native plant craze? At the root of it, folks are considering how what they plant and how they manage their landscape impacts the native pollinators, insects and creatures that inhabit the land with us. Plants that have not evolved in the local ecosystem aren’t providing adequate resources for the wildlife that relies on them. Plants like boxwood, liriope and euonymus are being replaced with American holly, muhly grass and fothergilla. As our human impact on landscapes continues to grow, I think it’s a noble and worthy effort to pursue.

When I first came to Hurley Park I was delighted to discover the abundance of native plants. I would venture to describe the park as being a leader in the pursuit of incorporating native plants. Visiting the park in the summer you’ll see the blooms of the native Stokes’ aster, garden phlox, purple coneflower, black-eyed susans and much more! Even some less-popular native species like swamp titi, wild ginger and Hearts-a-Busting grace the gardens at Hurley Park. While we enjoy the blooms a diverse insect population pollinates these plants, caterpillars and mammals use the foliage for food, and the soil thanks us for the roots that enrich it. Soon the migrating songbirds will enjoy the nutritious fruit of the dogwood to fuel them on their journey. The 18 acres at Hurley Park are home to barred owls, gray fox, chipmunks, box turtles and a number of other animals too — all in the heart of Salisbury! None of these interactions would be possible without the incorporation of native plants.

The more you observe the more it becomes apparent how everything in the ecosystem is connected and the native plant craze starts to make more sense. Coming back from Cullowhee I hope to bring fresh ideas, inspiration and a renewed hope for native plants across North Carolina and the Southeast. I’m excited to host our final garden tour on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 10 a.m. We’ll discuss native plants in Hurley Park, along with our ornamentals, and hopefully a creature or two!

If you have questions about Hurley Park or how to book an event, please give us a call at 704-638-5298. Stay up to date with what’s happening at Hurley Park by following us on Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC. To view a map or donate to Hurley Park, visit our website at salisburync.gov/hurleypark.

Sarina Dellinger is public garden supervisor for Salisbury Parks and Recreation.