Flowering Dogwood

Photo by Catherine Flanagan

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Flowering Dogwood

Photo by Catherine Flanagan

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

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Native Habitat School Garden Reinvigorated

 

The garden at Stonehouse Elementary School, a Wildlife Certified Habitat, was developed in 2004 by students, faculty, staff, parents, and community volunteers. Through the years, thanks to the support of many, including our chapter and individual members, it has successfully served as an outdoor classroom for learning, inspiration and connecting with nature and wildlife.

Over the course of four days in the brutal August heat, under the leadership of Jennifer Myers, Garden Coordinator and VNPS member, and with the financial support of John Clayton Chapter, the garden got a needed clean-up and re-hab.

Thanks to the generosity and initiative of Collin McPherson, a member of Boy Scout Troop 103 of Williamsburg, the garden redesign became an Eagle Scout project and now - a reality. Read more about the project here.

 

About the John Clayton Chapter

The John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society was chartered in June of1984 and was named in honor of the colonial botanist, John Clayton. Our membership includes beginners as well as professional botanists, novice and experienced gardeners, and folks who just like to walk and see some wildflowers and trees.

We present educational programs at our meetings, as well as to schools and civic organizations, conduct fieldtrips and workshops, participate in plant rescue and relocation, work on conservation projects, publish a bi-monthly newsletter, and have displays for libraries, schools, and events. We hold a native plant sale in spring every year. Proceeds from the sale go towards Nature Camp scholarships.

The John Clayton Chapter includes Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, James City and York Counties, as well as the Cities of Williamsburg, Hampton, Newport News and Poquoson.

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By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter Fall is the time that our warm season grasses shine in the garden by adding movement, color, and drama to the landscape. Andropogon glomeratus, or Bushy Bluestem, also called Bushy Bluebeard, is a compact, beautiful native grass often reaching only 2 – 4’ high, with attractive foliage and distinctive…... Read more
September 17, 2023
By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) is a standout in any garden pond, or freshwater coastal stream or river when its showy lavender-blue flowers are held above the foliage on tall stems. This perennial grows in shallow water where it tolerates up to 2’ of occasional flooding but prefers less than one…... Read more
By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter Virginia Sweetspire, Itea virginica, is a stunning deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub and the perfect choice for our May Plant of the Month as the long racemes of white flowers are just beginning to open on this first day of May. Typically growing from 3 – 5’ high and 4…... Read more
By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Native Plant Society Chapter Carolina or Yellow Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens, is a stunning evergreen vine native to the southern United States and Mexico south to Guatemala. In Virginia, Carolina Jessamine is a coastal beauty, common along the southern and central Coastal Plain north to the counties of Lancaster and the…... Read more
By Betsy Washington Northern Neck Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society   As signs of spring fill the air, I find myself eagerly anticipating the vibrant magenta pink blooms of one of our most beautiful flowering trees, the Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis. This small tree is a common sight along roadsides, woodland edges, and old fields…... Read more
March 18, 2021
                                      By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter   The Common Hackberry is one of our most adaptable native shade trees and is also among the best trees to plant for wildlife. The trunk of hackberries has smooth…... Read more
February 21, 2021
         By Betsy Washington           Northern Neck Chapter, VNPS   American Beeches are one of our most magnificent native trees, beautiful in every season, especially winter. They are also one of the most easily recognized of our eastern deciduous trees, with their silvery gray bark that appears cast…... Read more
February 21, 2021
                        By Betsy Washington Northern Neck Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society   As the winter solstice approaches, I am already anticipating the blooms of our earliest spring wildflower, Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus. The buds of this winter blooming wildflower begin to appear in our…... Read more
December 30, 2020