Members of the landscape industry have experienced a rising interest in the use of native plants in landscapes. They encourage their use for many reasons. Native plants provide valuable food resources for birds and insects. They are hardy and perform beautifully when placed in appropriate growing conditions. As well, they are important to our regional identity. Tourists want to see new things and experience the culture of the areas they visit. Seeing native plants is an important part of that. Remember - every plant you grow is native to somewhere, just usually not here! The plants in the garden were propagated during research into native plants carried out by Jeff Morton, Lloyd Mapplebeck, Carol Goodwin, Gina Bain, and Karen Dickie.

The library building provided an excellent site for a native plant garden. The north side provides shade next to the building, and the dry banks there are excellent habitat for bayberry, sweet fern, three leaved cinquefoil and blueberries. Notice the native honeysuckle - it’s impatient for the trees to get big enough to climb! The south side has a planting of flowering raspberry, often sold as an ornamental. The east side of the building provides good growing conditions for plants requiring moist shady sites. The slope provides runoff water to the plants below, and the trees reduce the exposure to morning sun. This area is home to ferns, orchids, baneberry, Canada lily, jack-in-the-pulpit, and a host of other plants. Alternate leaved dogwood, viburnums, Canada yew and hemlocks are all growing up to enclose the garden in a woodland cloak. The west side of the building is hot and sunny, and plants that thrive in dry conditions are at home there. A range of meadow plants mix with trees and shrubs - many of which were planted by the birds!

Visit the native plant garden at different times of the year, to see how the plants of interest and the colour in the garden varies. Note how many birds spend time in this garden! If you would like an opportunity to learn more about propagating and growing native plants, consider joining the Friends of the Garden as a volunteer gardener. For information, call Carol Goodwin at 893-6673.