Calling all Gardeners, Want-to-be Gardeners, and those who like to work in the dirt: The WMS Courtyard Needs Your Help!
The Williamsburg 7th Grade Life Science and the Extended Day teachers are working together with the Arlington Master Gardeners to improve the WMS Courtyard to make it a rich, engaging learning environment for our students. We cannot do itnalone, we need your help! Please see below for opportunities to make a difference. Signing up in advance is not necessary but it does help us plan.
Opportunity 1 – May 13, 2023 8:00 am-12:00 pm
- Help clean out and prepare the flower beds for new soil and new plants.
- Help move a delivery of soil into the courtyard.
- If time and resources allow, begin planting.
- Please bring your own gardening gloves and tools if possible.
Link to sign-up (optional but helpful for planning)
Opportunity 2 – Native Plant Donations:
Our goal is to stock the courtyard with native plants. If you have, or know of anyone who has native Virginia plants that can be split or transplanted (see list below), we welcome donations.
Native Plant List:
- Wild or Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
- Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
- Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
- Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)
- Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)
- Whorled or Threadleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata)
- Joe-pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)
- Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
- Narrow-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)
- Large or Eastern Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa)
- Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
- Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma)
- Eastern Prickly-pear (Opuntia humifusa)
- Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
- Narrow-leaf Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium)
- Zig-Zag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)
- Narrow-leaved Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)
- New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
- New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)
- Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea)
- Purple Love Grass (Ergrostis spectabilis)
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
- Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
- Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
- Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
- Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
- Common Elderberry (Sambucus candensis)
- Early Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccnium pallidum)
WMS is collecting gift cards for families who can benefit this holiday season. If you wish to participate, please send in gift cards in the amount of $25 for either Target, Giant or Safeway by 12/14/22. There will be a box in the front office starting 12/8/22 where the gift cards can be delivered. We appreciate your support in helping our community!