Native plants, bees added to Naperville Garden Plots

The Naperville Park District Garden Plots opened for the 2014 season in late April and, one week later, a group of Master Gardeners gathered at the plots to enhance a special area known as the Idea Gardens.

"With assistance from Naperville Park District staff, we planted approximately 300 native prairie, savanna and sedge meadow plants," said Master Naturalist and Master Gardener Ron Ory, who serves as a park district commissioner. "And we plan to add one hundred plants in June when the order comes in."

The purpose of the Idea Gardens is to help beginning gardeners learn more about native Illinois plants for their home landscape. Native plants benefit the environment by thriving in Illinois landscapes with minimal or no watering, and by restoring the biodiversity that supports a variety of wildlife, including threatened and endangered species.

While native plants help birds, insects and other wildlife by providing habitat, the benefits also work the other way. For example, honey bees are essential to the growth and productivity of some of our favorite flowers and fruit-producing plants and trees.

Recognizing the importance of honey bees and the recent phenomenon of Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, the Naperville Park District recently brought a colony of 20,000 honey bees to the organic section of the Garden Plots.

The bee hives are protected in a fenced yard along the west border of the organic garden plots and are tended by Naperville Park District staff. The bees typically reproduce rapidly and may double in number by midsummer. The park district is partnering with a local bee keeper, Kristina Risvold, who supplied the honey bees.

Additional information can be found in the ParkTalk Blog entry at napervilleparks.org/parktalkblogarchive/bringing-back-the-honey-bees-what-we-are-doing-and-how-you-can-help.