Do you enjoy working with flowers and plants? Do you learn best by trying new things with guidance from experts? Do you love being outside in nature?
If so, come to the Saturday, Oct. 7 meeting at Churchville Nature Center to discover how to become a volunteer Botanical Gardener. The session takes place 10 a.m.-noon.
Persons interested in attending the meeting should register by emailing their name, phone number, email address and preferred date to Peg Mongillo, assistant director, at pamongillo@BucksCounty.org.
Churchville Nature Center began installing its on-site botanical garden this past spring. This formal woodland garden is housed in an enclosed area and features garden beds, garden structures, pathways and sitting areas.
The plants in the garden are native to eastern Pennsylvania and include shrubs and trees, perennials, climbing vines, ferns, grasses and groundcovers. As a botanical garden, it is designed to be visually appealing and inclusive of signage, and will be used for education, conservation, demonstration, propagation and research.
The center is committed to cultivating a team of volunteer “Botanical Gardeners” who will learn and grow as caretakers and stewards of the new garden. There is no fee to join the group. Botanical Gardeners should be at least 18 years of age and in good physical condition. While the group’s inaugural meetings will be held this fall, Botanical Gardeners will be active in March through October of each year. Gardening experience is not required.
Equipment and supplies will be provided. Botanical Gardeners will be asked to become stewards of at least one garden that they will learn to care for and maintain. While there will be some whole-group training and meetings, Botanical Gardeners can otherwise carry out their volunteer duties in the garden when it is convenient for them and if Churchville Nature Center is open to the public.
Botanical Gardeners will become involved with planting and garden design, bed preparation, mulching, weeding, watering, pest and invasive control, pruning and trimming, and seed propagation. In addition to gaining valuable knowledge and skills in these areas, Botanical Gardeners will have access to free plants for their own use once plants in the garden can be reproduced through seed harvesting or plant division.
For information, call 215-357-4005. To learn more about Churchville Nature Center, visit www.churchvillenaturecenter.org.
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