Horton Park Community Native Wildflower Gardens

Who planted these gardens?
The community gardens in Horton Park were designed and planted by neighbors of the park who live in the Hamline Midway neighborhood. Calling ourselves the Friends of Horton Park, we have worked closely with the St. Paul Parks Department to design gardens in keeping with the nature of this park, which is the only arboretum in a St. Paul City Park . We have received support from the Hamline Midway Coalition, the St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Coalition, Hamline University , the Friends School of Minnesota, the Hamline High Rise, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, the Sustainable Resources Center , the St. Paul Garden Club, and numerous neighborhood businesses. The Friends of Horton Park continue to maintain the gardens and offer garden-related events in the park.

Why native wildflowers?
The plants in these gardens are native to oak savannas, prairies, and deciduous forests, the kinds of vegetation that covered most of Ramsey County for thousands of years up until the 1800's and afterwards, when cities, suburbs, and farms replaced most of the original vegetation. These plants are well adapted to the soil and climate of St. Paul , since they "grew up here." They do not need any extra water or fertilizer, and provide food and cover for birds, butterflies, bees and other kinds of wildlife. They are also attractive, interesting, and fun to look at, and teach us about the natural heritage of our landscape.

What is next for the park?
The community will continue to maintain these gardens and plan educational and social as well as gardening events for the neighborhood. We received a grant from the St. Paul Garden Club for plants for the shade garden and for an interpretive sign for the gardens, and will be developing the sign in the fall and winter of 2002-03.

Who can I contact about this garden?
The co-leaders of the Friends of Horton Park are the Midway residents Hannah Dunevitz and Steph Hankerson .

Stephanie Hankerson
Master Gardener & Community Garden Organizer for SECIA
651-645-4392
click here to E-mail Steph
www.secomo.org

 

Hannah Dunevitz
Plant Ecologist
651-644-6790
click here to Email Hannah
Hannah's profile at the DNR site