As winter gives way to spring, we are working to prepare the SHIP gardens for the growing season. Weeds were a big problem last year, so we will begin 2019 with a 3-4 inch layer of wood chip mulch over the native perennial gardens to help with that issue.
Since most of the gardens don’t provide convenient access to a water source for maintenance purposes, the mulch will also assist in retaining moisture in the soil to maintain an ideal environment for thriving microorganisms, beneficial bacteria and fungi that should be thriving beneath the surface.
In previous years, the wildlife above ground have taken a destructive toll on the native perennial plants that make up the demonstration gardens along the Plant Discovery Trail.
To hinder the progress of plant destroying wildlife, we’ve begun to install fencing around the gardens. Not only will this deter critters from intruding and feasting on the flowers and foliage, the fence will turn the gardens into landmark stations along the trail – visually joining them together for visitors so that they can view them as exhibits as part of the same project. The post and rail fence will be fortified with chicken wire to exclude the smaller animals like bunnies and groundhogs.
Learn more about the the Soil Health Improvement Project (SHIP), the goals of the project and how it began at http://www.soildistrict.org/healthy-yards/jakes-branch-ship-project/