Ohrenberger Native Plant Garden

 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

 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

 Check out our iNaturalist page for insect observation updates .

 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

 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.

 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