The Bayside Bloomers recently completed an aggressive project cleaning out the old shrubbery and landscaping in front of the church and replacing it with native species of plants.

To give you an idea of the breadth and depth of work Bloomers did, below, you will find a copy of the letter Suzanne Lewis, the Community Service Co-Chair and Operation Plant Native Coordinator sent to the Bayside Bloomers Garden Club. She described the work beautifully. Not only have they accomplished an amazing amount of work, they’re not done!

Way to GO Bloomers! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Hi Bloomers & Friends!

Wow! After a hot summer of exhausting garden prep work we finally planted nearly 70 shrubs on Saturday, 30 September 2023, at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church. And the first butterfly perfectly fluttered across the entire expanse of the garden after everything was planted and the site was cleaned-up. As if we got a special message of ‘two wings up’ from native wildlife and pollinators on a job well done! A perfect ending to the day❣️

The curb appeal is incredible with freshly painted white window frames and red doors, repaired window glass, painted side wall to the left of the red doors, and power-washed walls as a clean backdrop to the beautiful garden.

Many thanks to all who supported the project through grueling removal of groundcovers, trunks, roots, landscape fabric, shrubs, trees and debris, and subsequent dump runs, azalea rejuvenation pruning and transplanting seven azaleas to the bed along the exit driveway. The ease of planting was a testament to the thorough prep work over the summer. And to all who assisted by donating critical supplies such as water, snacks, yard waste bags and loaning tools and other needed items—thank you! Every single contribution mattered!

A shout out to all the organizations and businesses who so generously devoted their time and talents, and supplies, services, and financial support to this heartwarming project:

-Alison Milligan (design/native plant selection/plant procurement & delivery)

-Anne Arundel County Farm, Lawn & Garden Center, LLC (Leafgro)

-Bayside Bloomers Garden Club & Family

-Boy Scouts Troop #918

-Good Neighbors Group

-Homestead Gardens (Mulch, HollyTone)

-Maryland Reentry Resource Center

-Our Shepherd Lutheran Church (kudos to Property Crew & Parish Administrator)

-Patuxent Nursery (Leafgro, BioTone Starter Plus, HollyTone)

-Sam the Stumpologist (Crape Myrtle trunk/roots removal)

-Unity Garden (grant for all trees and shrubs)

Each contribution was an essential piece that led to the final result. Thank you!

What has been especially touching is to see so many individuals come together to create this beautiful native garden. New friendships have been forged and there is now more than 1,400 square feet of new habitat and food sources for native wildlife and pollinators. Plus the beauty and tranquility of the garden brings a sense of peace to all who visit.

What We Accomplished on Saturday:

-Kick-off: Pastor Matt Beers delivered kind words thanking all who made this garden possible and said a blessing for the gardens & the hands who were creating it (video of part of his remarks is in the photo link below)

-Spread Leafgro (compost) over entire planting area

-Planted shrubs with BioTone Starter Plus to help roots establish optimally (contains beneficial microbes and fertilizer)

-Applied HollyTone to existing acid-loving shrubs in new garden and along exit driveway

-Installed soaker hoses throughout the foundation gardens; installed automatic timers

-Laid cardboard over the beds on top of the hoses (to prevent groundcovers from re-emerging)

-Spread mulch over the area

-Planted daffodils (as a bonus project) in various areas of the property

-Divided and transplanted hellebores and hostas to the bed along the Memorial Garden pathway.

 

Here is a link to many photos:

https://www.icloud.com/photos/#0285-Q37OtZlqL3Oi6ekMSunA

And for an eyebrow-raising comparison, see ‘before pics’ to include before and after the crape myrtles, large dead tree and some shrubs were removed: https://www.icloud.com/photos/#082brJofjXXDciXXql9V6jCKg

In addition to installing the native garden, we had the energy and resources to:

-Plant over 500 daffodil bulbs throughout the property to include the front of the church, around the church sign next to Benfield and in the Memorial Garden (& scilla).

-Extend the exit driveway garden further down toward Benfield Road—we previously transplanted azaleas from the foundation garden to this area. We then added a few native shrubs to this garden. Leafgro and cardboard are under the mulch.

What’s Next?

-Tracy is leading efforts to create a ‘plant portrait’ document with information on each tree and shrub in the garden. We will provide this to the church as part of the Maintenance Plan and will make it available to the congregation, garden club members and friends so you can learn more about the trees and shrubs in the garden.

-I will prepare and submit the required final report on the project to Unity Gardens, due by 15 November. This will also serve as our documentation of the project.

-We’ll plant an evergreen tree in the corner to the left of the red doors when Alison is able to order it in October. It was unavailable previously. Will ask for some help to plant.

-Jim will install support stakes for the Scarlet Oak within the next week.

-We’ll install the Unity Gardens sign in the garden as soon as we receive it.

By the third year the garden will be lush and in its glory! Looking forward to watching it grow and seeing birds and pollinators discovering their new hang-out!

Thanks again, everyone!

Plant Native & Garden On!

Suzanne Lewis
Community Service Co-Chair
Operation Plant Native Coordinator
Bayside Bloomers Garden Club