MISSOULA — Native plants are extremely helpful to have in a lawn or garden. They need less water, are lower maintenance, and create a healthier environment for humans and animals alike.
"Some reasons and I could go into more detail but they're beautiful, they provide homes, breeding, hiding places, and all kinds of opportunities for creatures that live in native surroundings," former President of the Clark Fork Chapter of the Native Plant Society, Annie Garde explained.
She added that native plants create an environment where all species can work together, "The animals, the insects, you know, and the birds and the fish. Native plants preserve what's so beautiful around us."
Looking to preserve local biodiversity, Missoula County and Rocky Mountain Gardens hosted two group landscaping sessions. Volunteers spent hours planting native bunchgrasses and wildflowers at the Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center.
The plants were going to be ripped up at a South Hills development site. However, now, they are replanted in a prairie garden. While gardening, volunteers got the opportunity to learn about the importance of planting and saving native plants.
"I'm an environmental science and sustainability major. So, this kind of stuff is very much my focus. Especially Missoula Phlox. I'm working with some people on some kind of research for them right now," part-time student and part-time gardener, Max Hirrill told MTN. "So, that's really exciting and there's also some of them being planted here at those gardens."
Hirrill also said that gardens are important spaces for the community and he showed up to volunteer on July 5 because of that, "I view like gardens like this as bringing the outdoors to people. I want to help with that because some people can't go into the mountains."
To learn more about the GW Marks Exploration Center and Rocky Mountain Gardens, click here.
