Jenny Angel
When Belmont High School students Shea Brams and Francesca Kitch were in the Climate Action Club back in 2020, they had the germ of an idea: a garden of native plants on the grounds of the newly built school.
They didn’t imagine at the time that the idea would take three years to implement, but they and their successors persisted. Club members met with various administrators and town committees, reached out to native plant experts in the area, raised money, designed, and dug. The idea came to fruition on May 13, 2023, with the installation of a 300-square-foot garden at the front of the school.
Audrey Brenhouse, co-leader with Ellie Lesser during the Native Plant Garden’s first year, says that one aim is to showcase what can be achieved with native plants, “giving people ideas of what they might plant in their own yards.” It’s also addressing a lofty goal.
“Bringing back biodiversity is a huge part of restoring the climate and restoring the cycle of life,” she said. “This garden helps close some of the breaks in the chain.”
One of Audrey’s most exciting garden moments was finding black swallowtail caterpillars on the golden Alexander.
“It almost seems cliché, but seeing them was magical. Before the garden, there hadn’t been much life in the area besides grass,” she said.
In addition to dozens of persevering BHS students, many people in the community helped make the garden happen. Jean Devine, a Belmont-based environmental educator and director of Biodiversity Builders, worked with students from the early days of planning and later assisted with designing the garden and choosing appropriate plants.
To coincide with the school calendar, Devine emphasized spring-blooming natives such as Jacob’s ladder, golden Alexander, and pussytoes, and fall-bloomers such as goldenrods, grasses, and asters. Still, plenty is going on in summer with swamp milkweed, wild bergamot, and wild strawberry. Besides the buzz of pollinators, there is also a bustling watering crew, at least for these first few years. (One advantage of native plantings is that, once established, they are quite drought-tolerant.)
Members of Sustainable Belmont and the Mystic Charles Pollinator Pathways Group provided additional advice and plant donations. The director of Belmont’s Facilities Department, David Blazon, provided essential help, including installing a water line to the site. The Parent Teacher Student Organization awarded the club a grant for the project, and a concert organized by student musicians Evie Hamer and Jacob Lubetsky brought in additional funds. The Humani Foundation of Belmont also made a generous donation.
A few shrubs were added this spring: elderberry, black chokeberry, and New Jersey tea. Rising senior Holly Kong got approval for a proposal to expand the garden this fall, which will approximately double its footprint and include monarch butterfly waystations, a small tree, and raised beds. She notes these elements will “further the impact this lovely garden will have in promoting environmentalism and community-building.”
Jenny has been gardening in Belmont since 2001 and became a member of the Belmont Garden Club in 2019. From 2010 – 2013 she was the volunteer editor for the Belmont Farmers’ Market newsletter, “Roots & Sprouts.” As a Garden Gems columnist, she is excited to delve into Belmont’s horticultural history and current greenspaces and share tips from local experts on diverse aspects of gardening and related pursuits.