Grow Native! workshop June 17
Friday, October 10, 2008
Native plants will be on show tonight at 6 p.m. as Barbara Fairchild with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Grow Native! program presents a two-hour hands-on workshop to help homeowners learn more about using native plants.
Anyone who is interested in helping the environment while at the same time beautifying their properties and reducing the maintenance requirements of their landscapes will get hands-on help with their own landscapes.
The free workshop is in Room 114 of the Arts and Sciences building. The first half will be an overview of the wide variety of native plants that will work in a home landscape. The second half will be a chance to design something for your own property and get some professional feedback on it.
Bring notes on your area’s soil and lighting conditions as well as its dimensions. Fairchild will have design tools available at the workshop.
It’s is being conducted in conjunction with the Grow Native! Landscape Challenge, a $1,000 Earth Day makeover of one St. Francois County property. The grant includes matching funds for purchase of native plants as well as the help of professional landscaper Linda Resinger, who is in charge of the Mineral Area College greenhouses. She’ll be assisted by native plant expert Jan Dellamano, private land conservationist with Missouri Department of Conservation.
The application period for the contest has been extended to June 24, and anyone with questions about the challenge can ask them tonight. Applications will also be available at the event.
“This will be a good chance for readers interested in growing native plants to have their particular questions answered,” said Renee Jean, Daily Journal Assistant Managing editor. “Barbara agreed to come here in response to a reader’s request for something that would help more people who are interested in growing native plants.”
Native plants make sense in a landscape because they have developed natural hardiness to the periodic droughts in Missouri as well as many of its diseases and pests. With 10,000 years of adaptation behind them, there is a plant that will tolerate just about any soil and light condition you can throw at it without a lot of extra TLC.
This means homeowners face less maintenance to keep their plantings in top shape, reducing their costs. At the same time, homeonwers can help the environment by reducing greenhouse emissions caused by mowing, reducing chemical applications to fertilize and weed their lawns and building wildlife habitat attractive to birds and butterflies.
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