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Manhasset
Bay Protection Committee
Native
Plant Garden
Gallery
 
 
The
Native Plant Garden is a demonstration garden composed primarily
of Northeastern native plants adapted to our climate. The idea for
the garden came from the Committee's plan to reduce non-point source
pollutants. Some of the pollutants targeted include fertilizers,
herbicides, pesticides, and sediments. These pollutants are often
carried from our lawns and into the Bay by over-used sprinklers
and after rain events. These toxins and excess nutrients can directly
and indirectly harm the Bay ecosystem.
The
plants in this garden require little or no supplementary fertilizers,
pesticides, or irrigations. The garden contains native plants regionally
adapted to a range of our regional climate conditions so that no
other outside resources are necessary to keep the garden healthy.
The
Port Washington Chamber of Commerce and Water Pollution Control
District have been major players in the establishment and continued
maintenance of this garden.
Please
visit our garden at:
Sunset
Park
Chamber
of Commerce Building
329
Main Street, Port Washington, NY
Download
the Garden's informational brochure.
And
From Nonpoint Source News......
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Native
Plants Save Water and Prevent Polluted Runoff
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Issue
Number: 71
Chapter Name: Notes on Watershed
Management
Date:
05/2003
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More
and more gardeners are turning to native plants for their landscaping
needs. Native plant species have evolved and adapted to local conditions
over thousands of years and are usually much more tolerant of the
prevailing weather extremes at a given location. Once established,
most native species usually require no irrigation beyond normal rainfall,
and, because they typically grow more slowly, generate much less yard
waste. Native plant species are also well adapted to local soil conditions,
thriving without added fertilizers. Native plants are generally more
resistant to local pests and diseases and require less pesticide application
than ornamental plants. All of these advantages add up to a lesser
need for chemical and water application, which leads to a reduced
potential for nonpoint source pollution.
What
is a Native Plant?
Native
plants are usually defined as those naturally in the area before
humans introduced plants from distant places. Thousands of plant
species, known as invasive plants, have been brought to North America
in the past 300 years. "In Florida, for example, botanists
consider plants native if they were present in the state before
the mid-16th century, when the first Spanish colonists arrived,"
explained Sandy Wilson, an assistant professor of environmental
horticulture with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
While
most nonnative species are "well behaved" and rarely penetrate
natural areas, some invasive nonnative species have no natural controls
present in their new environment and are able to out-compete and
gradually displace native plants. The loss of the native plants
also threatens the wildlife that evolved to depend on those plants.
The ongoing fight against invasive plants across the nation is expensive.
"Last year, the state of Florida spent $127.6 million to control
invasive exotic species," said Wilson.
Integrating
Native Plants into the Landscape
Once
overlooked in the marketplace, native plants are now gaining popularity
with environmentally aware gardeners and landscapers. Since 1995
severe droughts have affected much of the country periodically and
have resulted in serious economic, social, and environmental impacts.
Frequent drought conditions have encouraged homeowners to look for
drought-resistant native plants in their home and garden stores.
"The only disadvantage to native plants is that many species
are hard to find in retail stores," said Wilson. "But
by promoting their use for the home landscape we can increase demand,
giving growers and retailers incentive to carry them." For
more information on how Florida is promoting the use of native plants
in the landscape, see the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods article,
Beautiful Yards and Clean Water--It is Possible, below.
Organizations
in many states are finding innovative ways to promote native plant
use and incorporate them into the landscape. The Potomac Watershed
Partnership (PWP) and Ford Motor Company recently developed a new
program, called Growing Native, to help supply state tree nurseries
in Maryland and Virginia with native plant seedlings. Because of
the increased number of trees and shrubs needed for ecological restoration
projects implemented as part of the effort to restore Chesapeake
Bay, the state nurseries had been experiencing a shortage of native
seedling stock. On Saturday, October 12, 2002, more than 4,000 volunteers
throughout the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay region searched
the grounds of parks, schools, churches, backyards, and other locations
and collected native tree seeds. Volunteers contributed more than
7,000 hours of their time at approximately 250 sites to gather more
than 130,000 seeds. The seeds collected will be grown in state nurseries
and should be ready to plant in about 2 years.
Interest
in native plants is rising nationwide, thanks to a broader trend
toward exploring and preserving America's natural heritage, says
Robert Breunig, executive director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower
Center in Austin, Texas. "Native plants provide the foundation
for a healthy ecosystem," Breunig said, "They cleanse
the air and water, hold soil in place, provide food and cover for
animals, and do all these things naturally." Founded in 1982
by former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, and actress Helen Hayes,
the center serves as a national clearinghouse for native plant information.
The center's Web site, www.wildflower.org,
allows users in all 50 states to identify native plants and find
local sources for plants and seeds.
[Portions
of this article were excerpted from UF News, March 2002 Article,
Native Plants Can Help Gardeners Save Water, by Tom Nordlie (tfnordlie@mail.ifas.ufl.edu).
For more information about the University of Florida Horticulture
program, contact Sandy Wilson, University of Florida, at (561) 468-3922,
ext.132, or by e-mail at sbwilson@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu.
For more information on Growing Native, visit www.growingnative.org
or contact Rob Carey, Growing Native Coordinator, at (703) 276-2777
or by e-mail at carey@potomac.org.
For more information on the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center, contact
Robert Breunig at (512) 292-4200 or by e-mail at pipho@wildflower.org.
]
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