The Olivet Schools Garden Project
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Olivet public schools are creating an outdoor classroom for all grades. This ambitious project will be environmentally friendly, ecologically functional, educationally enriching, and just plain COOL!!
Here's some basic info to help answer any questions you may have ...
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
We will be converting the swales (ditches) in front of the middle school into rain gardens, butterfly gardens, hummingbird gardens, and other plant communities. All plants will be Michigan native and we are limiting the use of species that will attract large colonies of bees or may be irritating in other ways. This garden will be part of the science curriculum for the years to come and will give the kids a chance to get involved in some real scientific research.
For those not aware, Olivet has a doctoral graduate student, Ms. Edi, from Michigan State University's Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, working with the science classes in many grades to improve the science curriculum for the kids. With her and others at MSU and KBS, this garden will become a great resource for all the science classes in Olivet.
WHY MAKE A GARDEN?
The area where this garden is being placed receives a large amount of runoff from the buildings and parking lots of the school. Rain gardens are designed to slow down the water, allow it to seep into the ground and become groundwater. This makes things easier on the artificial drainage system (sewers) and also decreases the ecological impact on the streams nearby. The areas of the garden that will not be rain gardens have been designed to attact native insects and birds and serve as a GREAT resource for the K-12 science classes in Olivet.
HOW CAN A GARDEN HELP SCIENCE CLASSES?
By getting the kids involved in hands-on, interactive learning activities like monitoring, designing and studying a garden, the science teachers are able to show kids how science applied to every day life. When science is applicable, it is memorable! We want the kids of Olivet to know the value of the natural resources around them and understand how different things impact those resources. In addition, being outside getting involved in a scienctific experiement is FAR more FUN than reading about someone else doing the same thing in a book. The educational values of this garden are endless!!
HOW CAN I HELP?
This project will be completely funding by donations. We are looking for people to donate plants and other items. If you are willing to assist your school, or know of an organization that would be willing to help, please leave a blog message here at the site or email Edi Sonntag (sonntage@msu.edu). Thanks tons!! SUPPLIESThe following list is a basic idea of what we will need to make this happen. Items with an asterisk are of highest priority. Plants are the biggest need, so please check the list and see if you can help. We have sources to purchase plants for monetary donations are greatly appreciated! Thanks! In the garden:
- *Manure (about 3-4 cubic yards)
- Plywood (2 – 4x8 sheets – for signs)
- 4X4 posts (4- 8 footers – for signs)
- Concrete (2 bags – for sign posts)
- *Paint stir sticks (100-150 - for labeling plants)
- Bird Houses (with posts for mounting)
- Butterfly Houses (with posts for mounting)
- Volunteers with and without rototillers
For starting seeds:
- *Potting Soil (10-20 bags)
- *Starter Trays for Seeds (10-15)
- Trowels (10-15)
- *Popsicle sticks (for labeling plants)
For working in the gardens:
- Spade shovels (10-15)
- Garden gloves (30-60 pair-small sizes)
- Watering Cans (5-10)
Below is a list of plants we need! Please make sure all donated plants are Michigan Native. We have a large area to cover so we need lots and lots of plants! Can you help buy 10 or 20?? Generally these plants cost about $1.05 a piece when we buy in cases. Contact me if you need more info!
| Plant List as of 19Apr07 |
| Common Names |
Scientific Names |
| Anise Hyssop |
Agastache foeniculum |
| arrow-leaved aster |
Aster sagittifolius |
| Asters |
Aster sp. |
| beard grass |
Andropogon virginicus |
| Bergamot |
Monarda |
| big bluestem grass |
Andropogon gerardii |
| big-leaved aster |
Aster macrophyllus |
| Black-Eyed Susan |
Rudbeckia hirta |
| Blazing Star |
Liatris sp. |
| Blue Vervain |
Verbena hastata |
| bottlebrush grass |
Hystrix patula |
| Butterfly Weed |
Asclepius tuberosa |
| calico aster |
Aster lateriflorus |
| Cardinal flower |
Lobelia |
| Chokecherry |
Prunus virginiana |
| clustered-leaved tick-trefoil |
Desmodium glutinosum |
| Columbines |
Aquilegia |
| common boneset |
Eupatorium perfoliatum |
| common evening-primrose |
Oenothera biennis |
| Common Milkweed |
Asclepius syriaca |
| common mountain mint |
Pycnanthemum virginianum |
| common spiderwort |
Tradescantia ohiensis |
| culver's root |
Veronicastrum virginicum |
| Dogbane |
Apocynum sp. |
| false sunflower |
Heliopsis helianthoides |
| flowering spurge |
Euphorbia corollata |
| Foxglove |
Digitalis |
| foxglove beard-tongue |
Penstemon digitalis |
| Gay feather |
Liatris |
| golden alexanders |
Zizia aurea |
| Gooseberry sp. |
Ribes sp. |
| Grasses (Bottlebrush Grass) |
Hystrix patula |
| grass-leaved goldenrod |
Euthamia graminifolia |
| great blue lobelia |
Lobelia siphilitica |
| Hackberry |
Celtis occidentalis |
| hairy aster |
Aster pilosus |
| hairy beard-tongue |
Penstemon hirsutus |
| hairy bush-clover |
Lespedeza hirta |
| heart-leaved aster |
Aster cordifolius |
| heath aster |
Aster ericoides |
| hoary vervain |
Verbena stricta |
| Horsemint |
Monarda fistulosa |
| Horsemint |
Monarda punctata |
| indian grass |
Sorghastrum nutans |
| indian hemp; hemp dogbane |
Apocynum cannabinum |
| Joe Pye Weed |
Eupatorium sp. |
| Leadplant |
Amorpha canescens |
| little bluestem grass |
Schizachyrium scoparius |
| Lupine |
Lupinus perennis |
| marsh blazing star |
Liatris spicata |
| Milkweed, Butterfly |
Asclepias tuberosa |
| Milkweed, Mexican |
Asclepias curassavica |
| monkey-flower |
Mimulus ringens |
| nannyberry; sheepberry |
Viburnum lentago |
| New Jersey Tea |
Ceanothus americanus |
| new-england aster |
Aster novae-angliae |
| nodding wild onion |
Allium cernuum |
| old-field goldenrod |
Solidago nemoralis |
| old-field or common cinquefoil |
Potentilla simplex |
| pale beard-tongue |
Penstemon pallidus |
| pale-leaved sunflower |
Helianthus strumosus |
| Pearly Everlasting |
Anaphalis margaritacea |
| Penstemon |
Penstemon |
| prairie dock |
Silphium terebinthinaceum |
| prairie tick-trefoil |
Desmodium illinoense |
| Pussytoes |
Antennaria sp. |
| riddell's goldenrod |
Solidago riddellii |
| robin's plantain |
Erigeron pulchellus |
| rough blazing star |
Liatris aspera |
| rough goldenrod |
Solidago rugosa |
| round-headed bush-clover |
Lespedeza capitata |
| round-leaved ragwort |
Senecio obovatus |
| sand coreopsis |
Coreopsis lanceolata |
| sedge |
Carex bicknellii |
| sedge |
Carex normalis |
| sedge |
Carex pensylvanica |
| Sedges |
Carex sp. |
| showy goldenrod |
Solidago speciosa |
| silky wild-rye |
Elymus villosus |
| sky blue aster |
Aster oolentangiensis |
| slender bush-clover |
Lespedeza virginica |
| smooth aster |
Aster laevis |
| smooth pussytoes |
Antennaria parlinii |
| smooth swamp aster |
Aster firmus |
| southern blue flag |
Iris virginica |
| stiff goldenrod |
Solidago rigida |
| stout blue-eyed-grass |
Sisyrinchium angustifolium |
| sundrops |
Oenothera fruticosa |
| Sunflowers |
Helianthus sp. |
| switch grass |
Panicum virgatum |
| tall coreopsis |
Coreopsis tripteris |
| tall flat-top white aster |
Aster umbellatus |
| tall sunflower |
Helianthus giganteus |
| thimbleweed |
Anemone cylindrica |
| thimbleweed |
Anemone virginiana |
| tumble grass; purple love grass |
Eragrostis spectabilis |
| Various Milkweeds |
Asclepius sp. |
| virginia creeper |
Parthenocissus quinquefolia |
| virgin's bower |
Clematis virginiana |
| whorled milkweed |
Asclepias verticillata |
| wild bergamot |
Monarda fistulosa |
| wild columbine |
Aquilegia canadensis |
| wild lupine |
Lupinus perennis |
| wild strawberry |
Fragaria virginiana |
| Willow (Sandbar Willow) |
Salix sp. (Salix exigua) |
| winterberry; michigan holly |
Ilex verticillata |
| woodland sunflower |
Helianthus divaricatus |
| yarrow |
Achillea millefolium |
| yellow coneflower |
Ratibida pinnata |
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