Celebrating our 2023 Native Plants and Pollinator Patch Program
We are so very proud of the amazing year we have had that we wanted to share the great news before the year is done! In 2023, our dedicated volunteers and participants created native plant habitat, including over 50 gardens added to the David Suzuki Foundation Butterflyway network, raised awareness of the importance of native plants, and distributed 2,700 native flowers and grasses in Ottawa South.
Pollinator patches
The Pollinator Patch program in 2023 was a huge success. Residents signed up for kits for either a sunny or a shady garden. In the end, participants planted over 1,200 native flowers and grasses. We had unprecedented interest in the program this year, growing from about 25 households in 2022 to 77 in 2023.
Pollinator Patch kits (left) and some of the plants distributed on June 25
Plant distribution
In total, OSEAN distributed about 2,750 native plant seedlings that we grew from seed from the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library, and about 250 seed packets as well, most donated by our good friend, Berit of Corner Pollinator Garden . The plants were distributed almost evenly between our Pollinator Patch program and the five events.
Pollinator patch favourite plants in 2023 for sun were Lance-leaved Coreopsis, Pearly Everlasting, Milkweed, Nodding Onion, New England Aster, and Black-eyed Susan. Shade favourites were Wild Columbine, Blue-stemmed Goldenrod, Zigzag Goldenrod, Early Figwort, and White Snakeroot
Events
At the annual River Ward Earth Day event, OSEAN gave away milkweed seedlings and pre-stratified native seeds ready to sow.
In April, we included the Riverview Park Pollinator Garden as part of the OSEAN Jane’s Walk and gave out milkweed seedlings to participants.
We gave away over 130 seedlings and as many seed packets at the Alta Vista Farmer’s Market in June.
April 2023, Jane’s Walk visit to Riverview Park Pollinator Garden.
We invited all our Pollinator Patch participants to join us at a plant give-away at the end of June to add more seedlings to their gardens and then opened up the invitation to the general public, giving away over 800 plants in one day. Many volunteers from school and community gardens stopped by and picked up some of our seedlings for their gardens.
Lynne and Marianne at the June 25 event
Marianne and her family continued to tend a “few” trays over the summer to bring to the Hunt Club-Riverside Fall Fair in September. OSEAN volunteers answered questions and gave away hundreds more seedlings that day. The last few plants were donated to some boulevard garden projects in Ottawa South.
Seedlings at the Hunt Club Fall Fair
For our final event, OSEAN co-hosted an Ottawa South seed giveaway with Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library in early November. What a busy but wonderful year!
Karina, Marianne, Lynne and Kat at the OSEAN booth - Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library Event
Thanks to our volunteers
All this wonderful activity was made possible by a team of volunteers, led by Marianne and Lynne. Many of our volunteers were 2022 Pollinator Patch participants but others were community members who are passionate about native plants and being land stewards, transforming private and public spaces into havens for pollinators, birds and other wildlife.
Canada Columbine in C. Fisher’s 2022 Pollinator Patch. / Elena assembling 2023 kits.
Our volunteers were as busy as bees! They:
Harvested and donated seeds
Selected and fridge-stratified or winter-sowed seed from the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library
Picked-up and transplanted seeds from our friends at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden
Sowed seeds
Tended trays of seedlings under grow-lights
Transplanted tiny seedlings into individual pots to either give away or grow on for a while
Watered dozens of seedling trays
Planned pollinator kits based on which seedlings were ready for their new homes
Prepared and distributed pollinator kits for sun or shade
Hosted pick-up locations
Contacted participants to arrange pick-up
Spent hours at the OSEAN booth at events answering questions and giving out free seedlings and seeds.
Phew!!
This year, Lynne became a David Suzuki Foundation Butterflyway Ranger, so we added the Butterflyway logos to our Pollinator Patch signs and registered over 50 habitat gardens in 3 OSEAN Butterflyways (each with at least 12 gardens) in 2023. Please fill in this form if you have a pollinator garden and would like to add a sign.
OSEAN Pollinator Garden sign and a mature habitat garden, part of OSEAN Butterflyway, Photo by L. Coates
Looking ahead to 2024
We will again offer the Pollinator Patch program in 2024. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’re interested in contributing. If you’d like to know more before signing up, you can join us at our Open House on Saturday February 10th at Moose McGuire’s Hunt Club.