Post on 07-Aug-2015
BEGINNING A DEMONSTRATION GARDEN DISCOVERING THE BENEFITS OF NATIVE PLANTS AND EDUCATING VISITORS ON LOCAL GARDENING
Emily Chapin August 9th, 2012
Goals for the Demonstration Garden: • Incorporate native plants of Bald Head Island in the garden
• Provide visitors with first-‐hand examples of local flora on BHI
• Include signage to help visitors identify plants
• Show that landscapes with native plants can still be beautiful
• Educate visitors on the benefits of native plants
• Encourage methods of sustainable gardening in home landscapes
Native Plants: • A native plant is one that occurs naturally in a particular region or ecosystem without human intervention.
• In the eastern United States, the flora present at the time of the
European settlers is considered native.
• Non-‐native plants are those that have been introduced and
established in a particular region.
Invasive Species: • Invasive alien species are plants, animals, or other organisms that
are introduced into a particular area outside their native range and
cause damage in their new location.
• The term “invasive” is given to those plants that are most
aggressive and most likely to outcompete the native flora.
• Invasive species have no natural enemies to limit their
reproduction. Thus, the introduction of non-‐native, invasive species
often forces a decline in the population of native plants.
• Leading threat to biodiversity
Benefits of Gardening with Native Plants (1)
• Support the local ecology by attracting native wildlife, including insects, birds, and even mammals.
Benefits of Gardening with Native Plants (2) • Native plants need less fertilizer, little-‐to-‐no pesticides, and less pruning.
Benefits of Gardening with Native Plants (3) • Native plants require less irrigation and save water because they are acclimated to their unique climate.
Benefits of Gardening with Native Plants (4)
• Native plants help to limit the chance of invasive, exotic plant species being introduced into the environment around you.
Benefits of Gardening with Native Plants (5) • Native plants can create beautiful gardens and can be used for ecological restoration
Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy
Humans have not left enough of the natural habitats to prevent the loss of species
(Tallamy 12).
The number of species that can
survive is dependent on the amount of human destruction.
(urbanization, climate change,
diseases, pesticides, and farm
intensification all threaten
biodiversity).
The number of species of plants is closely linked to the diversity of animals in a particular habitat
(Tallamy 20).
It takes a long time for insects to adapt to the chemical of alien species of
plants.
Native plants provide more food for native insects which then transfer most of the energy to animals in higher trophic levels.
The future of biodiversity will be dim unless humans
start to take action to prevent the
extinction of species.
Tallamy, Douglas. Bringing Nature Home. Portland: Timber Press, 2009. Print.
Native Plant Survey
Survey Results (1)
2.540541
2 2
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Mean Median Mode
I know about the native plants in the area I live in
Series1
2.378378
2
1
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Mean Median Mode
I use native plants in my landscaping
Series1
Survey Results (2)
2.918919 3
4
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
Mean Median Mode
I feel that I have a positive perception of native gardens
Mean
Median
Mode
2.486486
2 2
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Mean Median Mode
I feel that I know the benefits of gardening with native plants
Series1
STARTING THE GARDEN
Camp Pollywog Helps by Weeding
More Help From the Pollywogs!
A lot of Sand…
• Conditions of the location: Sandy, dry, rocky,
• Rocks, Glass, Nails, oh my! • Met with the manager of
the community garden, Jane Johnson. She suggested a thick layer of cow manure to enrich the soil
Writing a Donation letter to get cow manure • Both Stewart Hardware & Garden and Home Depot donated 250 pounds of cow manure each.
250 pounds of Moo-‐Nure:
Learning about the Plants Native to Bald
Head Island
Driftwood
• I decided to use drift wood to line the beds of the garden.
Campers Help by Transplanting Native Plants
Collecting Native Plants: • I visited a local nursery called Growing Wild Nursery in Burgaw, NC.
• Specializes in coastal plain native plants in North Carolina. • He donated some Coral Honeysuckle, Switchgrass, Yucca, and Thoroughwort
Spray Painting the Trellis
Filling the Garden with Native
Plants
• Blanket Flower
• Prickly Pear Cactus
• Sabal Palm
• Lantana
• Common Yucca
• Adam’s Needle
• Switch grass
• Hyssop-‐leaved Thoroughwort
• St. Andrew’s Cross
• Pennywort
• Coral Honeysuckle
Coral Honeysuckle
After Mulch
Thank you Michael, Patrick, and C Patrol Camp!
Labeling the Plants
Thanks for Everyone’s Help! Special thanks to: • Kendyll Goeman and Tracey Ritchie • Tom Hancock and Patrick Amico • Mike Thomasen • Alex Hanyok • Alistair Glen (Growing Wild Nursery)
QUESTIONS?