Volunteer in our Native Plant Education Garden!
Location: 920 Cherry St, Grand Rapids (free parking in large lot on left side of building)
Do you enjoy creating or maintaining inspirational outdoor spaces? Would you like to improve our urban and suburban environments? Come join us for any or all of these important hands-on garden work sessions. Learn about some of the important tasks in maintaining an urban prairie or install new native plants in our Native Plant Education Garden (NPEG), We need your help in keeping this important native plant demonstration site active and inviting!
NEXT EDUCATION GARDEN SESSION—THURSDAY, AUGUST 18!
920 Cherry Street SE, Grand Rapids • 10 am
The garden work session in July was so much fun! There were 7 new members who arrived to lend a hand. Much learning, laughing and socializing was happening as we weeded and added more plant species. The garden is looking great as it enters its most colorful season of blooms.
Did you know that Dr. Doug Tallamy visited the garden when he was in town to present at the 15th anniversary of our chapter? Ours is one of the few chapters in the country that maintains a public native demonstration garden. We are quite proud of what has been accomplished since it began in 2013.
Its next debut will be a public garden educational tour/open house on August 1 from 6–7:30 pm. The public (and members) are welcome to come to ask questions and get advice. See details in this newsletter.
The monthly garden work sessions are a perfect place to learn about planting, identifying and caring for native plants. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just beginning your education, this is an opportunity you should explore. The next garden session will be Thursday, August 18 at 10 AM. In the event of heavy rain, we will meet the following Monday, August 22 at 10 AM.
Many tools are provided but if you have them, please bring: garden gloves, hand pruners, shovel or rake, trowel, kneeling pad and drinking water.
There is a restroom on site and free parking behind the garden adjacent to the large building and behind The Green Well Restaurant.
Tasks may include pruning back old growth, weed removal, adding plant labels, staking tall plants, transplanting some species and planting new species (we have over 80 different species now!) Often there are small native volunteer plants that need a good home so bring containers to take some of these free plants back to your own gardens!
Please direct any questions you may have to [email protected].
Native Plant Education Garden (NPEG) • 920 Cherry St SE
Located in front of the Monarch Investment & Management Group building, once the site of the historic D.A Blodgett Children’s Hospital.
This urban garden contains over 80 different plant species and is on its 10th year of existence. This is a wonderful spot to learn to identify different plants, develop planting and maintenance techniques you can use in your own garden, and to socialize with Wild Ones River City members. We have fun and learn at the same time! It is very important that we continue our monthly garden-care session to keep the native beds looking their best! You do not need to be a member to participate. Dates and times will vary each month to encourage participation.
Read the history of our Native Plant Education Garden.
