Many of us are getting requests from the organizations we associate with to create a wildflower or butterfly garden or to fix a neglected one. It would be wonderful if every church, school yard, and corner park had a native plant garden. However, gardens take work, not only for the installation but even more so for upkeep. Who is going to maintain that garden for the rest of time? When I am asked to build someone a garden, my first question is, “who is going to take care of it?”. I don't have time to commit to maintain every garden I put my hands on, and if I'm weeding, I wont have time left to build more gardens.
Many people have no idea how much care a wildflower garden needs. We can't install it and walk away. Weeds have to be managed, and managed intensively the first few years during establishment. There is no point in spending your time and their money on a garden that is going to look like a weed patch and be ripped out next year. We are not doing the native gardening community any favors by planting future weed patches in public spaces.
If an organization wants a garden it should be willing to commit a volunteer or staff to the gardens upkeep for the rest of the life of that garden. We should offer to train the person who will be managing the garden by having them assist in planting the garden and then work side by side with them until we are confident they clearly understand their maintenance duties. When designing a garden to be managed by native plant novices it is best to limit the number of species used in the garden and plant like species in groups. It is easier to weed when you can pull everything except for the one plant you know. Also avoid using native plants that look similar to the local weeds. Mulch is another positive addition to the garden as it preserves soil moisture which reduces watering, and smothers weed seeds which reduces weeding. Creating a map of the garden with photos of the plants in it also makes a great tool for volunteers.
The volunteer you train will gain knowledge of native plants and can add more diversity every year as their confidence grows. They may even start designing their own native gardens to be carefully tended by other volunteers just beginning their own life long education in native plants. I dream of the day when every vacant space is filled with native flowers and hordes of butterflies, tended by loving and experienced gardeners.
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