Plant them and they will come!
Translation: fill your garden and yard with native plants and Virginia’s native wildlife will be your guests.
Jan Newton, a board member of Belle Isle State Park Visitor Center at 2 p.m. on March 13.
Known as “The Plant Lady” to many school children in the Williamsburg area, Jan and the students maintain a garden of more than 80 species of native Virginia plants atStonehouse Elementary Schoolin James City County.
Rose mallow
As Education Chair for The Native Plant Society and Publicity Chair for the local John Clayton Chapter.Jan is adept at explaining the beneficial attributes of native plants. They demand little maintenance, use less water, are pest tolerant, thrive in local soils, and provide hours of pleasurable critter viewing.
Critters that are finding it harder and harder to keep their bellies full because invasive plants have run amok and are destroying their natural food sources. These animals are disappearing at an astonishing rate because of the lack of native vegetation.
Jan’s vivid photographs of native plants hosting the native wildlife that love to dine on them will delight, inspire, and motivate you to go native!
A native plant field at Belle Isle State Park
All are welcome to attend this free presentation given by Northern Neck Master Naturalists.Contact Gail Sigler at 804-472-2409 with questions.
LOCATION: Lancaster County on the Rappahannock River. From Warsaw, take State Route 3 East to SR 354. Turn right and follow for three miles. Turn right onto SR 683 at Somers to the park entrance. From Kilmarnock, take Route 3 West to Lively, then left on SR 201 for three miles, then right on SR 354 for three miles and left onto 683 to the park entrance.
Drive Time: Northern Virginia: two hours; Richmond: two hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach: two hours; Roanoke: five hours
Click here for a Google map. Latitude, 37.774414. Longitude: -76.599364.
Visit the Belle Isle State Park website here.OVERNIGHT FACILITIES: Bel Air Overnight Area (Bel Air house and guest house) and camping. For information on availability of campsites, particular park amenities or to make a reservation, you can reserve online. The Bel Air overnight area can be reserved only by calling 1-800-933-PARK. Click here for details on reservation and cancelation policies.