Posted: July 18, 2022
The Demonstration Gardens at the Clinton County Fairgrounds are being revamped thanks to the work of Master Gardener Apprentices Maria Boileau, Stephen Dobos, Jennifer Hartley, Carol Lugg, Gerri Miller, and Katelyn Smith.
Photo credit: Maria Boileau
Plans call for the restored garden to be filled with native shrubs and perennials that will thrive in the Clinton County area. Inkberry holly, a small native evergreen has been added to viburnum and winterberry bushes already in place to provide year-round color.
Perennial additions include blazing star, butterfly weed, coneflower, spiderwort and creeping phlox to complement the asters, penstemon, baptisia, bee balm, and other plants that have been thriving in the garden.
Plants were selected based on their value to pollinators and their bloom times, to ensure that the garden has something in bloom from spring through fall to provide pollen and nectar. Apprentices are also planning to create a brochure that includes a plant list with QR codes so garden visitors can obtain detailed information and the botanical name for each plant,
Master Gardeners Jim Randall and Charles Kincaid have constructed a new bee hotel that will be added to the garden and apprentice Katelyn Smith is building butterfly houses. Because pollinator gardens need sources of water, the apprentices plan to add butterfly puddlers. Master Gardeners Anne Gibson, Carole Livingston, and Ann Rozelle worked with the apprentices on the garden project. The garden will serve as a teaching tool in support of classes and workshops and showcase a variety of plants and gardening techniques. Progress is proceeding as planned and the restored garden should be ready in time for the annual Clinton County Fair.
