Parking Lot Island Transformed Into a Beautiful Native Wildflower Garden at Exeter Public Library
Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council has created a new native plant garden in the parking lot island at Exeter Public Library, part of a wider project to educate residents about the value of native plants and the role they play in helping to protect local wildlife and waterways.
Starting Tuesday May 3, over the course of three days, volunteers from the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council transformed a large parking lot island at Exeter Public Library into a beautiful garden filled with eco-beneficial native plants. The Council is working with towns in the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed to introduce native plants to residents by installing gardens and signage at libraries and town halls to educate residents on the benefits of using native plants in their home gardens. David Prescott, Save The Bay’s South County Coastkeeper, and Nan Quinlan, Town of Exeter Representative on the Council, directed volunteers in completing the project. The location of the parking lot island was chosen in consultation with Library Director Tien Tran for its high visibility and impact. The plant list includes perennials, grasses, and shrubs that are native to Rhode Island.
In March 2019, the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed was designated as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, making a total of 110 river miles within this watershed eligible for Federal recognition and protection. A Stewardship Council was established with representatives from the twelve towns in the watershed, along with state agencies and other nonprofit conservation organizations. The Council’s mission is to help preserve, protect, and enhance the special environmental, cultural, and recreational values of the watershed and its rivers and tributaries. With projects like the garden at Exeter Public Library, the Council seeks to promote the use of native plants to benefit wildlife and contribute to healthier local waterways. For homeowners, Nan Quinlan notes that “native plants are very low maintenance. They do not require fertilizer, they require less water, they provide shelter for wildlife, help reduce pollution, provide nectar for pollinators including hummingbirds, native bees and butterflies.” By eliminating or reducing the use of water, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, gardening with native plants can help to protect our rivers and streams.
“As soon as many of these plants are in the ground, they immediately attract beneficial pollinators.”
David Prescott, Save the Bay
Native plant gardens provide many long-term benefits. However, David Prescott says that gardeners do not have to wait long to see the impact. “As soon as many of these plants are in the ground, they immediately attract beneficial pollinators. We planted one garden in the fall with Seaside Goldenrod and within minutes a monarch butterfly had landed on and was feeding on the flower’s nectar. This beautiful goldenrod helped that butterfly on its long journey to overwinter in Mexico.” In fact, as volunteers set out the plants, a bumblebee lighted on one of the blueberry shrubs that were in bloom. Many more bees, butterflies, and other pollinators will find a source of sustenance in the garden for years to come.
The library invites volunteers to join its Garden Club to share knowledge of and appreciation for native plants and to help maintain the garden in the long term. More information about the garden, including a plant list, can be found on the library’s website at www.exeterpubliclibrary.org.