May 27, 2016 - As part of the effort to encourage residents to install rain gardens on their property, Fort Wayne City Utilities is teaming up with the locally owned Riverview Nursery to provide an opportunity to purchase native perennial plants and to find out how those plants can help support butterflies.
Many rain garden plants provide nectar and larval food for butterflies, such as Marsh Milkweed, a host plant for the monarch butterfly, and Golden Alexander, the host for black swallowtails.
The event on Saturday, May 28, is being coordinated with the creation of a monarch waystation, a habitat for monarchs providing not only milkweed but also other nectar and shelter plants. Residents are invited to help plant this area that will become a certified waystation through Monarch Watch (http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/) and learn more about the importance of native plants and monarch butterflies.
Fun, learning activities for children, information about City Utilities’ Rain Garden Program and light refreshments will also be included in the event.
The native plant sale features varieties that can be difficult to find. Master Gardener Martha Ferguson and her Riverview Nursery will have native perennial plants that have been grown from seeds gathered at sites around the Fort Wayne area.
Event details:
Saturday, May 28 from 9 a.m.-noon
Salomon Farm Park
817 W. Dupont Rd.
Riverview Nursery will be selling many of the native plants recommended by the City Utilities Rain Garden program.
Rain gardens use native plants with deep roots that can withstand inundation so stormwater will infiltrate into the ground instead of running off to pollute our waterways. Catching Rain Fort Wayne is once again sponsoring a native plant sale to facilitate the installation of rain gardens to improve the quality of water in our rivers. We will bring individual pots of appropriate plants, as well as rain garden kits. Native plants also provide nectar, food and habitat for native butterflies, hummingbirds and songbirds.