We recently partnered with Penn State Extension Master Gardener Program to offer a free (interesting and fun) Seed Starting workshop.

Over twenty attendees from across our watershed learned about starting native plants from seed. They were even able to sow some seeds and take them home! They'll plant the seedlings in their yards this spring. Seeds included:

Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) -- Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower) -- Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) -- Coreopsis tinctoria (plains coreopsis) -- Eutrochium purpureum (joe pye weed)

Helenium autumnale (sneezeweed) -- Aquilegia caerulea (western columbine) -- Baptista australis (blue false indigo) -- Veronia noveboriensis (new york ironweed)

Native plants and watershed health go hand in hand, as native plants have deep root systems that help to break up compacted soil, allowing more water to enter the ground. This infiltration reduces the amount of stormwater runoff which enters our waterways, the number one source of pollution in our watershed.

We only plant native plants in our restoration projects -- rain gardens, riparian buffers and more -- throughout the watershed. These sites provide critical habitat for our native species of birds, insects and animals. We think of each site is an outdoor classroom, too!

Interested in planting your own native seeds? Contact ryan@ttfwatershed.org to request some FREE seeds. A special thank you to Friends Hospital for warmly welcoming us, and hosting the workshop and the Penn State Extension Master Gardener Program.

We would love to hear from you about this program and others like it!

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