Embracing Native Plants on Concession Street

By: Emilia Fytikas, HNC Summer Intern

In the Concession Street Business Improvement area (BIA), a vibrant shopping area of Hamilton, a new community initiative is adding more color to the sidewalks. Led by BIA Chair Eva Martens and with the support of many volunteers, this project has created much-needed habitat for pollinators while showing the public the benefits of native gardening. Creating habitat for pollinators by planting wildflowers in an urban environment contributes greatly to their survival because they need access to food sources within a small radius of their nests. Doris Sanchez, the Executive Director of the BIA, reached out to HNC’s collaborative Pollinator Paradise Project program to have the planters certified as pollinator gardens. This initiative is a great contribution to the project, which aims to support pollinators by providing food and shelter for them across the city. 
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In June, the people of Concession Street BIA assembled 52 planters, about half of which contain only native plants. These mini-gardens, tended by Eva and community volunteers, contain a variety of native species supplied by Verbinnen’s native plant nursery, including Wild Bergamot, Butterfly Milkweed, and Coreopsis. Eva consulted with Butterflyway Hamilton to choose native flowers that are showy, bloom quickly, and provide excellent food sources for pollinators.

Eva’s first native gardening project started four years ago, when she decided to start a garden by the Hamilton Public Library on Concession Street. Eva acknowledges the support she received from a native plant group on Facebook and the overwhelming response from the community. "Over 20 people showed up," she recalls. The project caught the attention of Master Gardener Bev Wagar, who has been extremely helpful throughout the project. 

Eva excitedly explained her plans to expand the project further. Potential future initiatives include introducing more native shrubs, organizing plant sales, and hosting native seed giveaways using seeds harvested from her gardens. This is a great project because it promotes biodiversity and engages the community with nature. One of Eva’s achievements, which made this project possible, is that she advocated for changes in the city's procurement processes to include native plants. Her goal is to raise awareness and inspire future generations to appreciate and conserve local ecosystems. 
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Having little bits of high-quality habitat surrounding us helps us become more in tune with the intricacies of nature. If you are thinking about or already have a garden in Hamilton that contains some native plants, please visit the Pollinator Paradise Project website to get it certified as a pollinator friendly garden and receive a “We’re Feeding Pollinators” sign. The website also includes useful resources to help you get started. As a community, we can create a greener, more sustainable future for Hamilton.