BLOOMINGTON (25News Now) – The library is typically known as a place to grow your mind; now that growth can be charted outside with a native plant garden.
Staff at the Bloomington Public Library held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday evening to open its native plant garden to visitors.
Prairie on the Patio is a project the library’s Green Committee has worked on for years, in collaboration with the Illinois Prairie chapter of Wild Ones in Bloomington. The garden features 280 plants, 22 species, and several visiting critters.
Wild Ones is a national organization with 98 chapters to promote the use of native plants in local landscaping. Janet Rasmussen, a member of the Bloomington branch, said those include species that have grown in U.S. soil even before European settlement.
Rasmussen said that over hundreds of years, native plants adapt to local weather and soil, requiring little maintenance, which makes them the perfect residents of the Prairie on the Patio.
“Different native plants grow in different conditions. Some are out in the prairie, some are in partially shaded conditions, some are in woodland conditions, so if you plant the plant in the right conditions, then it shouldn’t really need much upkeep,” said Rasmussen.
Some of the plants featured at the garden include purple coneflowers, wild columbines, prairie alumroots, and nodding wild onions.
Native plants also encourage biodiversity. The indigenous species provide better resources and habitats for insects and pollinators, compared to plants not native to the U.S., according to Rasmussen. She said bees will often nest in broken stems of flowers until they’re big enough to explore the world.
The flowers and greenery planted at the library have only been growing there for a few months; however, many wildlife have already found both a home and a better source of food. That includes a handful of monarch butterfly caterpillars who’ve found comfort in the butterfly milkweed.
“The insects that are here, these are the plants that they adapted to and evolved with over hundreds of thousands of years as well,” said Rasmussen.
Library staff utilized grants and their own budget to fill the patio with life.
Green Committee Chair Dennis Gotkowski said that not only does the garden create a beautiful space, but it also opens up opportunities for hands-on educational programming.
“We’re excited about the fact that we have a lot of public visitors who aren’t even aware that they’re going to be coming towards the native plants garden and are going to encounter and learn more about that,” said Gotkowski.
Plant enthusiasts can learn more about the 22 native plant species from home, too. The library’s website lists each plant, a short description, and directs users to other sources with more information.
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