Information > Events > Yards Alive! Spring Plant Share 2024

Yards Alive! Spring Plant Share 2024

(Yards Alive!)

The Yards Alive! Native Plant and Vegetable Share is a wonderful way to add ecologically beneficial, beautiful and delicious plants to your gardens! The goal of this event is to bring neighbors together to share their resources and increase access to both native plants and healthy food. We hope this event will help people create more sustainable and nourishing spaces both in yards and on patios and balconies. (Note: A plant donation is NOT necessary to participate in the Plant Share) Before the Plant Share: Divided plants should be potted well in advance of the Share to allow time for healthy root growth. Rinse roots of plant divisions before repotting with clean potting soil to reduce the transfer of invasive jumping worms and other pests Store potted plants on tarp or concrete away from garden beds to avoid recontamination Bare root plants should be stored in a way to keep roots moist during the Share Seeds should be labeled with name, date collected and sowing directions Information for Vegetable Seedlings: Starting Seeds Indoors | University of Maryland Extension Label all plants for easy identification (please provide the Latin name if you know it) Getting your donations to the Plant Share: On April 20th, please bring your labeled donations directly to the Other Barn early if possible so we can organize the plants and find them homes During the Plant Share Bring a box, box top or sturdy bag to transport your items to your car. You do NOT have to bring a plant to take a plant or plants home We are not limiting the number of plants taken, we just ask that you are considerate of other attendees and give everyone a chance to take a plant home What will be accepted? Vegetable and fruit seeds and seedlings Plants and seeds native to the Eastern US and ideally native to Maryland and neighboring states Questions? Please reach out to us on Facebook or at yardsaliveom@gmail.com What does “native” mean? “Native plants have formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over thousands of years, and therefore offer the most sustainable habitat. A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction. Native plants help the environment the most when planted in places that match their growing requirement. They will thrive in the soils, moisture, and weather of your region. That means less supplemental watering which can be wasteful and pest problems that require toxic chemicals. Native plants also assist in managing rain water runoff and maintain healthy soil as their root systems are deep and keep soil from being compacted.” (National Wildlife Federation) Native Plant Resources: University of Maryland Extension Native Plants - Home & Garden Recommended Native Plants for our area birds https://www.audubon.org/native-plants Database of Native Maryland Plants http://www.nativeplantcenter.net/plants/

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