Amelia Lantz, Dennis Ryan and Marty Gearhart
A No-Dig Garden requires either sheets of newspaper covered in cardboard or simply 6-12 inches of wood chips of any kind — No Dig, No Plastic, No Hassle. Poison Ivy and Virginia Creeper might burst through these barriers, but they can be eliminated later when they appear.
On May 26th, Garden Club member Amelia Lantz led the charge in cutting through the cardboard to plant the two No-Dig Garden beds at the Orchard in Brookside Park. Beebalm (Monarda didyma), the milkweed Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum), Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), and Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) are the initial plantings donated by Amelia and Commissioner Marty Gearhart. Commissioner Dennis Ryan reclaimed his past glory of 2016 when he had assisted Renee Gustafson in the first Pollinator Gardens. His Three Dollar Dolley and his Grandkids’ Radio Flyer Brand Little Red Wagon were once again put to good use in moving plants and buckets of mulch.
Special praise for Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum). Less invasive than most mints, it has an excellent tolerance for a wide range of light and moisture and is a big favorite for nearly all pollinators. In fact, the University of Delaware entomologist, renowned conservationist, and prolific author Doug Tallamy has stated that if every home owner planted a native oak and a clump of Mountain Mint, huge benefits would benefit bugs and, especially, birds. Dr. Tallamy has shown that it takes 10,000 caterpillars to raise a clutch of 4 chickadees from eggs to adulthood. Since oaks are everywhere in Grantham, all we need to do to help our fauna is to plant Mountain Mint. If you want to do more, you can buy one of his many books such as “Bringing Nature Home” or “Nature’s Best Hope.” And be sure to check out his organization: homegrownnationalpark.org
As the gardens grow through the summer, the other GGC members of the “The Brookside Brigade,” including Terri Munson, Renee Gustafson, and Kathy Houghton (also a Commissioner) will help Commissioners Dennis Ryan and Arborist Colin Davis of Wild Tree with additional plant donations as well as watering. Check out the No-Dig Gardens and the information on both sides of the Orchard Kiosk when you next walk Brookside. And don’t forget to take iNaturalist Observations whenever you are there.
On May 26th, Garden Club member Amelia Lantz led the charge in cutting through the cardboard to plant the two No-Dig Garden beds at the Orchard in Brookside Park. Beebalm (Monarda didyma), the milkweed Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum), Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), and Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) are the initial plantings donated by Amelia and Commissioner Marty Gearhart. Commissioner Dennis Ryan reclaimed his past glory of 2016 when he had assisted Renee Gustafson in the first Pollinator Gardens. His Three Dollar Dolley and his Grandkids’ Radio Flyer Brand Little Red Wagon were once again put to good use in moving plants and buckets of mulch.
Special praise for Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum). Less invasive than most mints, it has an excellent tolerance for a wide range of light and moisture and is a big favorite for nearly all pollinators. In fact, the University of Delaware entomologist, renowned conservationist, and prolific author Doug Tallamy has stated that if every home owner planted a native oak and a clump of Mountain Mint, huge benefits would benefit bugs and, especially, birds. Dr. Tallamy has shown that it takes 10,000 caterpillars to raise a clutch of 4 chickadees from eggs to adulthood. Since oaks are everywhere in Grantham, all we need to do to help our fauna is to plant Mountain Mint. If you want to do more, you can buy one of his many books such as “Bringing Nature Home” or “Nature’s Best Hope.” And be sure to check out his organization: homegrownnationalpark.org
As the gardens grow through the summer, the other GGC members of the “The Brookside Brigade,” including Terri Munson, Renee Gustafson, and Kathy Houghton (also a Commissioner) will help Commissioners Dennis Ryan and Arborist Colin Davis of Wild Tree with additional plant donations as well as watering. Check out the No-Dig Gardens and the information on both sides of the Orchard Kiosk when you next walk Brookside. And don’t forget to take iNaturalist Observations whenever you are there.
Unloading the plants to trek into the orchard area at Brookside Park
garden area
Amelia and Dennis working on the garden
The makings of the no-dig garden
If you have any native perennials that you'd like to donate, please let us know.