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      • SPC Meeting Presentations
      • Ohrenberger Garden
      • Beethoven Garden
    • Events
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  • Home
  • About School
  • About Our Staff
  • School Parent Council
    • About Parent Council
    • By-Laws
    • Meeting Minutes
    • SPC Meeting Presentations
    • Ohrenberger Garden
    • Beethoven Garden
  • Events
  • Resources

Ohrenberger Native Plant Garden

Why native plants?

 Native plants support important pollinating insects such as butterflies, moths, hoverflies and bees.

Our native plans coevolved with our native insects.  (Isn’t that cool?)

Many of these insects can ONLY lay eggs on specific native plants, referred to as host plants.

Some studies suggest native plants are more nutritious for pollinators than non-native plants

What’s growing in the garden?

 Mountain mint, various varieties of milkweed, black-eyed susan, echinacea, New England aster and columbines are just a few of the flowers we have

Many of our plants have been started by seed by volunteers

What insects have been spotted in the garden?

 Check out our iNaturalist page for insect observation updates .

This is such a cool project… What can I do to support native insects at home?

 Don’t use insecticides– they kill bad bugs and good bugs.

Leave the leaves– don’t rake until spring.  This is why the ONPG is so “messy” over the winter!

Leave dead plants standing over the winter– birds will eat the seeds and insects will overwinter in the stalks

Who cares for the garden?

 The Ohrenberger Native Plant garden is cared for by volunteers from the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association.  

Some of our volunteers, including the project manager, are Pollinator Steward Certified by the Pollinator Partnership.

What are some other resources I can check out about native plant gardening?

 Native Plant Trust has a great resource for selecting plants for your garden: NPT Plant Finder

UVM Extension Master Gardeners have an ebook on supporting beneficial insects in your garden. 

 For more info about the MMGA, please visit their public website.

For questions specific to the garden, please contact Madeline Chamberlain at madeline.chamberlain@gmail.com

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5125 Washington Street & 175 West Boundary Road West Roxbury, Massachusetts

617.635.8149 (B) 617.635.8157 (O)

Copyright © Beethoven Ohrenberger School

 All Rights Reserved.

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