Written by OzMG Member Kathleen Doenier
Contributed by OzMG Member Mary Bennett
Here's a short summary of 2023 as we saw it at Ozaukee Advocates.
During the 2023 growing season, the 13 active members of the Advocates Project maintained and added to the 10 gardens of various sizes on the property. A highlight has been the creation of a welcoming entrance to the property where an abundance of burdock, buckthorn, and garlic mustard once thrived.
This year we again partnered with Lake Michigan Bird Observatory, using their grant money to acquire 47 more native plants for the hillside and entry gardens. One of our final garden tasks this year was labeling each of those and other new plants with sturdy metal plant markers.
In 2024, we may be approached to assist with landscaping the areas around a new addition to Advocate's residence building. Perhaps it's time to think about garden design again! It'll be something we do together.
If any of this sounds interesting to you, new members are always welcome to join the Advocates Project. Please contact Mary Bennett or Kathleen Doenier, co-chairs.
Below: The Hillside Garden which has been a labor of love by so many Master Gardeners over so many years. It is really starting to shine! We still have a multitude of new natives that are in their infancy in that garden, so we have lots to look forward to in terms of color through the seasons.
Top: A Little Quick Fire hydrangea that we planted in the Fall of 2021 in a section of one garden near the office in which we had removed most of the plants to redesign the garden.
Bottom: The same office garden late this summer highlighting the Anemone Whirlwind we got at the OzMG Plant Sale in May.
