Native Plants Restored!
Native blueberries are a great addition to many church gardens.
This spring, and now summer, has been a time of planting for Wild Indigo Guild! A few months ago Eastminster Presbyterian Church contacted us asking if we would create a full landscape redesign for their urban property. This church is just down the hill from where I live, a block from where I went to seminary, you can see Garfield Community Farm’s water tower just up the hill when you’re standing on their property. The staff didn’t want to have us lead the educational and spiritual formation aspects of our program, just design and implement a plan to transform the grounds from a sparse and boring yard to a thriving landscape of native plants.
The Eastminster Church Design
This is huge! It feels like the tide is turning in some churches. People and leadership are realizing their congregations get excited knowing their land is growing food, supporting wildlife and creating beauty for the neighborhood!
So far Wild Indigo Guild has planted 250 native perennial plants in both full sun and shady areas of the property. We’ve planted, I think, 25 small trees and shrubs, native and berry producing. Some of the plants we’re putting in are: Red Chokecherry, serviceberry, fragrant sumac, blueberry, red currant, rose milkweed, aromatic aster, bergamot, slender mountain mint, blazing star, purple coneflower, orange coneflower and much more.
Fragrant Sumac, a native shrub, ready to be planted.
The large front yard of the church wasn’t really used for anything, except for their annual live nativity. We’re saving plenty of space for that. But now, the surrounding area will an inviting garden with trails and seating. Moths, butterflies, pollinators, hummingbirds and migrating song birds will all have a space to eat, nest and perform their myriad ecological services. The garden will also become a space of abundant berry production from the dozens of edible berry producing shrubs. I can already taste the sweet serviceberries and tart currants!
We continue to need your help to do this work! Please consider a donation!
WIG volunteer and board member, Jake K., mulching under and existing shrub.
