In a world that is growing ever smaller, with choices that are growing ever more vast, it is nice to know that gardening can be made simple and more beneficial to our local environment by sticking with one golden rule - native plants make good neighbors.

Not only are native plants a good choice for preventing invasive species and attracting local wildlife, they also give your yard that unmistakable Cape Cod charm. Below are a few wildflowers to get you started.

Nodding Bur-Marigold - This pretty yellow flower grows well in damp soil and thrives in swampy areas. It flowers from August to October and grows to a height of one to three feet with six-eight blooms per stalk.

New England Aster- This large, leafy and hardy native prefers wet thickets, meadows, and swamps and flowers from August to October. Its flowers, which vary from purple to blue and white to pink, are found clustered at the end of its branches. It can grow to be from three to seven feet.

Foxglove Bearded Tongue - This perennial beauty prefers low, moist areas, prairies and open woodlands but will tolerate dry conditions. it loves full sun and its two to five foot stalks are covered with white tubular flowers in June and July.

Boneset - This aster prefers low woods and wet meadows and thrives in full sun. It flowers from July to October and grows from two to four feet tall.

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