Public Native Garden Demostration Beds
Green Guerrilla designed and installed 15 native garden demonstration beds for the City of Elgin Sustainability Commission. Each 100ft2 garden bed demonstrates native plant arrangements for different types of native gardens; micro-prairie, woodland edge, hummingbird, butterfly and rain gardens.
These pollinator gardens replaced 1,815 ft² turf area at the Eastside Community Gardens and featured educational signange, in english and spanish.
Alongside the native demonstration gardens, the Sustainability Commission also created the Elgin Native Roots program. Where they give out 4 native plant plugs from the different examples of native garden designs at the Elgin’s Farmer Market. https://fb.watch/q8Ogu31oPK/
Benefits of introducing native gardens:
- garden area will not need weekly mowing
- increase pollinators at the community vegetable garden
- make the ground more permeable and slowing done run-off rain water. Ultimately decreasing run-off pollution, ponding, flooding and the amount of water entering the city’s system during heavy rains.
- Promote biodiversity by creating habitat for native and migratory species
- Create the opportunity for residents and organizations that may not have access to an area to garden, to sponsor and garden a native plant area of their own.
- Increasing the opportunity for the immediate community to experience nature
- better aesthetics for the property and community