NEWS RELEASE CENTRE WELLINGTON NATIVE PLANT GARDENING
Centre Wellington Native Plant Gardening is hosting its first Planting Bee at the Elora Centre for the Arts’ Native Plant Pollinator Garden on May 24th, from 9 am until all 400 plants are in the ground. The ECTFA pollinator garden project was started last fall as a Culture Days event. Volunteers spent a day getting the beds ready and then two evenings creating the garden designs with over 50 species of native plants that will bloom from spring through late fall. Over the winter, there were two workshops to start seeds for many of the plants. Now that spring has arrived and the ground is ready, everyone is excited to get planting! While several members have donated mature plants, CWNPG is very thankful for a recent grant from Pollination Guelph, which makes it possible to purchase an additional number of mature plants.
CWNPG’s goals for the garden are threefold: to create a welcoming garden for the community to enjoy and learn about native plants, to provide plant seeds and seedlings to the public and, most importantly, to create critical habitat for native pollinators.
Experts say over 20% of native pollinators – our butterflies, moths and native bees- are at risk of disappearing. These pollinators, said to be responsible for one out three bites of our food, rely on native plants for their food, shelter and hosting offspring. Adding native plants to our yards and public spaces will help secure native pollinator populations and our food sources. Not only do native pollinators help feed us, they are critical to the survival of many of our birds. Since 1970, North America has lost 3 billion birds, with much of this population decline due to habitat loss. Bird food sources, shelter plants and host sites for offspring are missing. Putting native plants back into our landscapes will be key to reversing the declines.
ECTFA’s native plant garden is situated along existing pathways which are open to the public.
The Planting Bee is a family friendly, accessible event happening rain or shine. All are welcome to take home some native plant seedlings. Bring clean tools and pots with soil for the seedlings.
