Gardening with native plants
moncler saldi uomo When Kay McConnell’s daughter moved with the rest of her classmates into Friends School’s new moncler saldi uomo middle school building, the kids seemed moncler outlet online uomo out of sorts in the unfamiliar space. It was as if they missed the coziness of the cramped quarters that had been their home. moncler saldi uomo
moncler donna Like the students, the trees that had been planted in the ground piumini moncler uomo around the new structure didn’t look happy either. McConnell, a lifelong and self taught gardener, offered to try to help the plants, at least, feel comfortable in their new space. moncler donna
moncler outlet serravalle That was in 2005. Since then, McConnell has led the transformation of the grounds around the Charles Street school into a haven for native plants, trees and shrubs, which are as happy in their habitat as the kids who play around them during recess. moncler outlet serravalle
«It is all about bringing native plants to the school environment,» said McConnell, leading a sun drenched tour of the gardens recently.
piumini moncler Art students paint and draw in the gardens. Photography students take pictures. Science students study the life cycles of the plants and trees. English students find inspiration there for poems and essays. It is a living classroom for the Sustainability Club, whose members tend moncler uomo the vegetable gardens. piumini moncler
outlet moncler «I wanted to give the kids something rich to look at outside the windows,» said McConnell, who also advises moncler bambino saldi home gardeners through her company, Garden Therapy. outlet moncler
moncler bambino outlet Gardening has taken hold of the national imagination, and part of this renewed infatuation is the wisdom of gardening with native plants. moncler bambino outlet
moncler saldi outlet Homeowners are learning what nature already knows that plants thrive in a particular ecosystem for a reason. They moncler outlet trebaseleghe are in an intimate dance with climate, soil, pollinators, pests, disease and wildlife, and they thrive because everybody does their part. moncler saldi outlet
Gardening with natives also makes economic sense. Homeowners need less fertilizer, moncler donna less water, fewer pesticides and fewer replacement plants, because native plants can resist damage from freezing and drought.
moncler saldi Not only are the plants piumini moncler outlet happy, so are the bees, birds, butterflies and the wildlife that use them for food and shelter. moncler saldi
moncler bambino saldi Native plantings also evoke a sense of place. What would Maryland be without its black eyed Susans in August? And the reds, yellows and golds of the trees in moncler saldi autumn? moncler bambino saldi
piumini moncler uomo And because of Maryland’s diverse geography coastal plain, piedmont and mountain zones there are more than 2,800 species of native and naturalized plants in the region. Native plants of moncler saldi outlet the Eastern United States moncler outlet online shop are more diverse in number and kind than just about anywhere else in the world. piumini moncler uomo
moncler outlet At Friends, McConnell had the help of the Guilford Garden Club, of which she is a member, and the guidance of Ann Lundy, a longtime member of the Maryland Native Plant Society. piumini moncler saldi She had grant money, donations and school funds, plus all the free labor she needed. moncler outlet
piumini moncler saldi «My goal is that every child who graduates from Friends will know how moncler outlet serravalle to put a plant in the ground,» said McConnell, who piumini moncler scontatissimi has had three children go through the school. piumini moncler saldi
moncler uomo There is the steep downhill garden planted by eighth graders and the gardens around the upper school’s front steps, planted thanks to money raised by the Class of 2008. The picnic glade was created with money collected by the Class of 2012. And a pretty little blue garden was planted with the help of the fourth graders. moncler uomo
piumini moncler scontatissimi «The kids are up to their moncler outlet elbow in it much of the time,» said head of school Matthew Micciche. «And I feel like everyone has a much better baseline to understand, instead of just planting something because it looks nice.» piumini moncler scontatissimi
moncler outlet online uomo These gardens are about more than native beauty. Friends School sits in the middle of a kind of geographic water slide. Rainwater roars through the campus from the areas around it Wyndhurst, the Cathedral piumini moncler of Mary Our Queen and Homeland and moncler bambino outlet into Stony Run. It sweeps away the soil and its nutrients, and carries them to the Chesapeake Bay. It floods the parking lots, where it can freeze in winter, canceling classes. moncler outlet online uomo
moncler outlet trebaseleghe But on this visit, after a gully washer of a thunderstorm at sunrise, the only evidence is a bit of a trickle out of one of the beds into the parking lot. moncler outlet trebaseleghe
piumini moncler outlet «The goal has to be water management,» said McConnell. «We are working to trap the water in the gardens, using the plants suited to the slopes and swales and land formations to trap the water, or at least slow it down.» piumini moncler outlet
The gardens are functional, but outlet moncler they are also there to inspire the children. «These are the gardeners of our future,» said McConnell.
moncler outlet online shop More Bonuses https://www.moncleroutlet-i.org moncler outlet It was at a seminar on the topic conducted by natives expert Rick Darke 12 years ago that McConnell found her passion for natives. «It knocked my socks off. I turned into this natives crazed person.»The misunderstood ‘rule of thumb’ Misconception: Many feminists for years thought the phrase «rule of thumb» referred to British common law’s tolerance of wife beating moncler outlet online shop.