A frustrated gardener turned to Reddit to vent and seek advice after having months of their hard work mistakenly undone.
The user explained in ther/NativePlantGardening community that they partnered with a local public school in Illinois to create a garden featuring native perennials, native cultivars, and annuals.
"My goal was that over the next couple of years the plants would all flower, go to seed, and then fill in the planters in a way that would require minimal maintenance from myself and the school once the plants got established," they said.
Though the original poster noted that "pretty much all of the work was done solely by me, and everything was purchased out of my own pocket," they described their project as a "really rewarding experience."
However, after they had already harvested seeds and were preparing to winterize the garden, the OP found that school administrators raked or hoed the garden, not realizing that perennials appear dead before returning to life in the spring.
They said they were "depressed" after investing all the time, effort, and money into the garden, but they clarified that they weren't posting to blame the school for what was an "honest mistake."
"I just don't know what to do," they added. "I guess I'd love some advice on what could be done next spring to try and have a blooming perennial garden going."
Many suggested using this as a "teaching moment" by creating signs to prevent future miscommunications while engaging teachers, parents, and students to ease the burden of redoing the garden.
The OP could take the opportunity to highlight the importance of native species, not just for pollinators but also for the ecosystem as a whole.
"See if one of the teachers is interested in having class participation in planting or caring for the plants," one person responded. "Or creating signs or artwork for the garden. They'll be less likely to rip it out if kids (or parents) are involved."
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"A sign explaining the project in a concise way will indicate the area is managed and keep away most 'helping hands,'" another commented.
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