Native Gardens

Students will investigate elements of native garden design in orde rto design a garden for a given set of parameters.

Final Preparations:

• Bring in old notebooks (Birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, fish/aquatics, plants)

• We will begin review on Friday.

Scenarios

• Based upon your assigned garden use resources to design a native garden.

1. Area of the school ground that drains water off a parking lot.2. Sunny area of the school ground, ideal for a garden that attracts

pollinators such as butterflies and bees.3. Area of the school yard that is largely covered in impervious surfaces

and containers will need to be used for gardening.4. Part sun/part shade area that can be restored from a mowed area to

a no-mow zone.

Drill

• Take out your garden plans and sit with your group.

Directions:• Use resources to develop a plan for your garden. Your plan should

demonstrate that you understand and have an awareness for the factors that will determine the success (or failure of your garden):• Plan must include a survey of current land use (foot traffic, near a ball field, near a

parking lot)• Description of the type of garden you will plant (raingarden, meadow, butterfly, etc.)• Explanation of soil, sun (how much sun does the garden get, water, foot traffic, other

considerations which helped you to determine the type of plants, shrubs and trees to plant in your garden.

• Type of native plants you will incorporate and why. (ex: Echinecea purpurea, “Eastern Purple Coneflower will be planted. The garden receives full sun, tolerates drought conditions, and attracts butterflies/pollinators.)

• Visual explanation of your plan including a detailed “map”

• A butterfly/hummingbird garden has been chosen for this area. • This area receives full sun throughout the day and is in an area with heavy

foot traffic, however the foot traffic is located on a sidewalk. This area has few shrubs and plants that would attract pollinators therefore this garden will provide a more suitable habitat than the surrounding mowed grass.

• This garden would be a restoration of a previously planted garden, the soil drains well and has been tested to have normal soil with healthy amounts of nutrients.

• Plants that will be used are as follows (see garden map for plant codes and numbers):

• PO: Echinecea purpurea, “Eastern Purple Coneflower will be planted. The garden receives full sun, tolerates drought conditions, and attracts butterflies/pollinators.

Analysis• A recent survey of your school has identified an area of concern for the Green school committee.

This area of the school grounds receives a great deal of sun making classrooms hot, thereby causing the AC to be used more frequently. Additionally, a downspout that drains water off of the roof of the school creates a problem area of mud and water after it rains. The green committee has asked you to design a garden that will serve two purposes: help control the temperature inside the classrooms and solve the water problem.• Identify the type of garden you will plant and explain why it is appropriate for this location.• What must be done to the soil in this area before planting?• Design the garden using plants a, shrubs and trees appropriate for this area. Draw a scale

drawing of the area indicating the types and placement of the plants include a key of plants with your design (identify them by common name)

Take out your garden plans and prepare for the gallery walk.

• https://youtu.be/cYE6De8wSZA

• A recent survey of your school has identified an area of concern for the Green school committee. This area of the school grounds receives a great deal of sun making classrooms hot, thereby causing the AC to be used more frequently. Additionally, a downspout that drains water off of the roof of the school creates a problem area of mud and water after it rains. The green committee has asked you to design a garden that will serve two purposes: help control the temperature inside the classrooms and solve the water problem.• Identify the type of garden you will plant and explain why it is appropriate for this location.• What must be done to the soil in this area before planting?• Design the garden using plants a, shrubs and trees appropriate for this area. Draw a scale

drawing of the area indicating the types and placement of the plants include a key of plants with your design (identify them by common name)