Southern Boone County Public Library
Daniel Boone Regional Library
Ashland, MO
Photos: Bill Ruppert and Carol Davit
Size: Small urban landscape under half an acre.
The garden is made up of multiple plots located around the library property.
Year established: 2013, renovated in 2016
Year inducted: 2021
Category: Professionally managed
Designed by: Tony White of Columbia, MO (funded by an anonymous local donor)
Redesign by: Bill Ruppert of National Nursery Products and Grow Native! Committee Member
Maintained by: Midwest Regional Landscapes, Grow Native! Professional Member
Entrance Fee: None
Description: This library garden features many individual plantings around the library property: a terrace-like area between the building and pedestrian sidewalk, “cutout” plant beds in the concrete, a bed between the two driveways in the parking lot, and another bed at the west end of the parking lot. All of the plots are in full sun. The garden is managed to benefit wildlife year-round. Some spent stems are cut to 8 to 22 inches to provide shelter for insects. Retained seed heads and berries provide food sources that attract birds throughout the winter.
The evolution of this garden has provided a great learning experience. The garden, originally planted in 2013, failed to thrive due to a lack of knowledge about the care of native plants. Among other problems, the beds were too heavily mulched, which caused the decline of many species. It soon became clear a new direction was needed. With the advice of Bill Ruppert, Grow Native! committee member, the garden was redesigned and many species were replaced. Only after an effective management plan for native plants was put into place has the garden been able to thrive.
Occasionally the library offers educational programs that connect to the native planting. In the past, this has included a seed exchange, a craft activity where children made name tags for the plants, and lessons about the importance of pollinators. The garden provides a great educational tool to get people interested in native plants and pollinators due to its high traffic and visibility. With a middle school next door, many children pass by the plants every day. Additionally, the library often has book displays that feature information about native plants. The staff can provide handouts about the plants found in the garden. (A link to the handout can be found under “For More Information.”)
What Makes this Garden Excellent: This garden is a great example of a community-focused project. The original plants were donated by a local donor, the garden’s design was improved upon by a local resident, a local landscaper cares for the garden, and the local library friends group helped fund the project! The library is very proud of this beautiful planting.
Besides being a Native Garden of Excellence, this garden has achieved certification as a Monarch Waystation by Monarch Watch and is listed with the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. Along with many nectar plants, it has at least four different species of milkweed plants (butterfly, marsh, purple, and spider) that serve as monarch caterpillar host plants.
Additionally, the native landscaping complements the Prairie School design of the library building.
Ten Great Native Plants to See Here:
Asclepias purpurascens (purple milkweed)
Asclepias viridis (spider milkweed)
Bouteloua curtipendula (side oats grama)
Cotinus obovatus (American smoke tree)
Liatris scariosa (eastern blazing star)
Iris fulva (copper iris)
Rhus aromatica (aromatic sumac)
Silphium terebinthinaceum (prairie dock)
Vernonia fasciculata (ironweed)
Zizia aptera (heartleaf golden alexander)
Signage: Signs such as “Grow Native! Native Garden” and “Leave the Leaves” inform visitors that the landscaping is filled with native plants.
Accessibility: The gardens can easily be accessed from the paved sidewalk.
Location:
Southern Boone County Public Library
109 N. Main St.
Ashland, MO 65010
Coordinates:
38°46’31.6″N 92°15’44.4″W
38.775432, -92.262341
For More Information:
Eric Schmeck
Southern Boone County Public Library
eschmeck@dbrl.org
573.657.7378
Handout about the individual species in the garden.