A Healing Garden for the Ave Rest Home

 

On Friday, 5 March I went to the Ave rest Home, to firm up my previous commitment to plant a healing garden, for the residents.  This was initially proposed while my wife and I were there on Millstone Woman’s Club business.  Meeting with Baby (the adminstrator), I explained I had presented this opportunity to the Allentown Garden Club, and they were willing to take on the project. I have presented this as a wildlife garden, with three season interest, enticing butterflies and attracting birds, which will provide additional interest for the residents.  Baby, and I went to the back of the building, an area where residents already congregate.  Baby’s mother, Yuonne met us at the proposed area, both were enthusiastic and appreciative.  Yuonne would also like a bird feeder, and plantings against the building.  The plants against the building could be a 2011 project.

 

The site, looking northwest

 

Site:

A circle of Belgian block, about 16 feet in diameter, at the rear of a building that runs east west will provide all but the latest afternoon sun.  The soil is fair in quality, but has quite a bit of gravel.  Replacing gravel with organic matter will be a tiny nuisance.  There is currently no seating, but the facillity will provide.  Deer are present.  This is a relativly small area, we may need to choose wisely on our selection of plants.  There was a small cedar stump, but in a subsequent visit, to measure, it was easily removed.

Plan

TBD

My suggestions: a White Profusion Butterfly bush in the center, a pair of narrow access paths, roughly a Yin and Yang configuration, red Beebalm, Crocosmia, Swamp Milkweed, Coneflower, Ice plants.  The bird feeder (platform will provide the best diversity) could be at the six oclock.  Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis) is not high on the list for wildlife attractants, but does have multi season visual interest.  Against the building, between the windows perhaps Sneezeweed, Pink Turtlehead, Hardy Ageratum and Gladiouls Atom.  Bronze fennel would be attractive and is a host plant for Black swallowtails. Sedums and other mid sized plants could be below the windows.  Spring bulbs could be integrated more for their ability to nurture residents in reassuring that spring is coming than wildlife benefit.  Maybe some Winecups (Callirhoe involucrata) a durable North American native, on the edge of the pavement, south of the circle.

 

Location:

839 Perrineville Rd
Perrineville, NJ 08535

 

 

 

 

 

 

Possible plants

 

    

Gladiolus “Atom”                                                      Winecups Callirhoe involucrata  

 

   

Blackberry Lily, blooms and seeds Belamcanda chinensis

 

Butterfly Bush 'White Profusion' single truss Buddleja davidii

 

  

Crocosmia “Lucifer”                                                          Hardy Ageratum Conoclinium coelestinum

 

Beebalm, Jacob Kline Monarda didym)                      Bronze Fennel Foeniculum vulgare

 

 

Hardy Ice Plant Delosperma cooperi                          Pink Turtlehead Chelone lyonii

 

       

Sneezeweed 'Morheim Beauty', Helenium autumnale    Coneflower Echinacea purpurea

 

All of the images are taken by and the property of John Brandauer, see my space on Flickr (weedsfrowildlife.com), for limitations, and additional images (unaltered, non commercial use, with attribution allowed)