Native Plant Garden at Manorhaven Nature Preserve

The Long Island Native Plant garden at the Manorhaven Nature Preserve started as a class project by Pat Valente, a local Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener. Like the native plants, the idea didn’t take long to grow - attracting support from the Residents For a More Beautiful Port Washington and a generous grant from The Peter & Jeri Dejana Family Foundation.

The garden is still a work in progress, but more than 20 volunteers worked tirelessly through last week’s heat wave to begin the first phase. The diverse group included Master Gardeners, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, and even Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso came in his work clothes to join in the laborious mulching and planting process. Hefferin Brothers and Dropseed Landscapes also supported the effort.

The goal for this LI Native Plant garden is to show how these plants look as groupings, provide wildlife habitat and hopefully encourage others to plant them in their own backyards. The LI Native flowers, shrubs and trees beautify the entrance to the preserve and are low maintenance.

LI Native plants are very important to the local environment as they were in this area before settlers arrived from other continents. LI Natives have deep root systems that have benefits in terms of water saving. They also have important relationships with birds, insects and mammals and are integrated with the regional ecology.

The designer of this garden, Rusty Schmidt, a landscape ecologist at Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, is President of the LI Native Plant Initiative and Adjunct Professor at Farmingdale State College. Mr. Schmidt has designed over a hundred gardens, primarily using native plants to create attractive, high ecologically functioning habitats. He teaches that landscapes should be more than an attractive place to visit but also provide clean water, improve air quality and provide a home for our local wildlife.

Anthony Marinello of Dropseed Landscapes sums up the benefits, “Using native plants can help mitigate pollution, conserve water and soil and support native wildlife by creating habitat, all while saving homeowners money through reduced maintenance costs.” Francine Frede, a local Master Gardener adds, “Just by asking for natives when we are buying plants will make natives more available in the future.”

The Village of Manorhaven welcomes everyone to visit the Long Island Native Plant Garden at the Nature Preserve, which is located on Manorhaven Boulevard between the Port Washington Senior Citizens Center and Manorhaven Beach Park.

Photo 1: Volunteers included Rusty Schmidt of Nelson, Pope & Voorhis and President of the LI Native Plant Initiative; Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington Executive Director Mindy Germain and Director of Development Lisa Grossman; Jim Avena, Grant Administrator of the Peter & Jeri Dejana Family Foundation; Assemblyman Anthony D'Urso of the 16th Assembly; Anthony Marinello, owner of Dropseed Landscapes; Cornell Master Gardeners; and local residents.

Photo 2: Pat Valente, Master Gardener, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County; initiative organizer and longtime resident of Manorhaven.

Photo 3: Rusty Schmidt instructs the volunteers.