We are still outside.

Enjoying nature is still a great time to do that before we get into the fall season, which is also a great time to be outside too.

I'm here at the Field Botanic Gardens.

I still have Charlie with me because this is another fantastic place that you can bring your pets, which I love.

Well, dogs at least.

Maybe not your donkey or anything like that, but can still bring Charlie here.

So he's been out enjoying all the past and everything.

I have my friends with me and Kyle.

Thank you guys for joining me.

You guys have a really unique event that's coming up.

And and it's all focused on the plans that we can actually have here that are good for major in Michiana.

Right?

Yeah, exactly.

We're it's a it's a discussion on native species.

These are species that have evolved here for thousands of years in this region specifically.

And we'll we'll be talking we have various topics and various presenters, all related to native plants and also relating to a book that was recently published.

And this is all plants with purpose.

Everything is purposeful.

Right?

That's the title of the program, plants with purpose.

And we're actually having a lunch and learn.

So it's October 10th, I guess we should say that.

Perfect over ten and it's 1230 to 2 right here at Wellfield Gardens, which you know, is a beautiful place to have it.

It is.

Is it going to be indoors or outside?

Mostly indoors.

Okay.

So we can have lunch and perfect.

And the presenters all to help people learn a little bit more about the best native plants that they can incorporate in their yards.

But also beyond that, a little bit more about native plants that might be of interest to gardeners or just plant enthusiasts in general.

And talk about why it's important to focus on plants that are sustainable within the environment that they were originally created and formed within.

Yeah.

So the plants that have evolved here have co-evolved alongside this area's wildlife.

So for instance, when we bring plants from other parts of the world like Asia or Europe, we they may grow here and they may do fine here.

However, our wildlife that's that's adapted to this region may not recognize them as a food source or shelter source or anything that's useful.

Okay.

So so incorporating more of these, these species, native species into your home gardens can really benefit local wildlife and ecosystem.

And that's important.

Yeah, definitely.

It is.

I know that that's one of the things that we try to do in our own home too.

So and a lot of this information that you're going to be sharing, people can take back with them into their own landscapes.

Right, exactly.

Many of the plants that are native are perfectly suited to our gardens if they're native to our counties right here in Michiana.

And so that's what we'll be focusing on a lot during the workshop.

So let's talk about this book okay?

Okay.

Because this is something people can buy.

And you're going to talk about it during the event to.

Right.

Yes okay.

Perfect.

Yeah.

This is kind of this I mean this is a little bit of a book launch for this, this book Native Plants for Michiana.

Okay.

That was done through Wild One South Bend chapter.

So the photographer is is wonderful.

And everybody that participated donated their photographs, which was boring and they're beautiful community effort then.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

The there are many hands that that helped write this book and contribute to this book.

And so.

Well, field was a sponsor and so was Elkhart County Parks and several other Shirley Hines land trusts and several other community organizations.

Wonderful.

So we're going to talk a little bit about this book, and I'll there'll be three presenters, and we all have different topics, but they're all going to relate to the book and native plants in general.

Okay.

I'm going to talk a little bit about you're one of the presenters.

Yes I am.

Yes I am.

Okay, I guess I should mention that.

Yes okay.

But yes, I will present.

Each person will present for roughly 20 minutes and people can enjoy their food and walk the gardens afterwards.

They're welcome.

But I'm going to talk a little bit about how why native plants are important in public gardens and why.

Because you have a lot of native plants here, too.

We do.

Is everything native here are not necessarily okay.

So we're a botanic garden.

So we do try to incorporate lots of different species from all parts of the world.

We try very hard not to incorporate any, any invasive species, of course, harmful species.

But we have lots of native species throughout the gardens and in fact, even in our Japanese gardens.

So they're kind of woven throughout each garden space.

I think one of the things that will highlight is what role the gardens can play in helping to maintain biodiversity and maintain native plants in a, you know, kind of a controlled landscape.

Absolutely.

The other two presenters really quickly, Doctor Denmark from I, South Bend, we'll be talking about choosing the right native plants for the gardens and especially how, as Kyle was referring to how to target and get maximum benefit for things that eat native plants, primarily insects.

And that's what we're trying to do, is we're trying to support the native insect population because they feed birds and reptiles.

And.

Yeah, and then also Vince, he is the natural resources coordinator from Elkhart County Parks.

He's going to be talking about orchids and more.

And many people don't.

Many people don't even realize are native.

We have native orchids.

Not that big, showy, you know, that's the one that's on my kitchen counter that I can't keep alive.

Right?

It's not okay.

Okay.

So tropical, but there are native plants.

So he's going to be talking about those and other rare plants that we can find right here in our region.

So that's even a little beyond the Garden City.

So those of you that are three presentations during that ten lunch, I love I love that.

And it is a free event, right?

It is free with the cost of admission.

So our admission is $10 per person.

And and that gets you into the gardens as well.

I mean, the event and the gardens is okay.

Perfect.

And we are encouraging folks to pre-register if they can.

And that way you can just, you know, check in and come in to the workshop.

Yeah.

So we do want you to register at a time if you're a walk in bass.

Absolutely fine.

Just live a couple of minutes early on October 10th for the lunch and learn, and then we'll, you know, we'll get you the admission, which covers the cost of the workshop.

And I saw even while I was here, we saw groups of people coming in.

This is a great way to bring your birdwatching group or your book club or just walk.

Yeah.

You know, just people who just walk and want to learn more about native plants.

And we have some behind us.

Right.

Do.

Yeah.

Want to talk about this?

Yeah.

We're kind of surrounded by right now.

We're late summer moving into fall.

We have a lot of of our goldenrod blooming.

And then this one here is snake root.

That's pretty white one here.

Now this one I feel like is it not invasive.

No, it is not.

I feel like this is what I always have to pull out of my yard.

Well, so you you may it depends on what kind of space.

Depends on where it's at exactly.

Yeah.

So like, snake root and goldenrod can be slightly aggressive in certain areas.

And so you, you may not want them up by the house in a tidy or.

Yeah, exactly necessarily.

But here and in our prairie we like that.

So when they pop up again in my yard I'm going to bring them over to you.

Oh all right.

Do you think ever do like guided walks through the gardens.

Yes.

Yeah.

We do guided tours occasionally and guided walks.

Yes.

Okay.

I love to show people around, so I know it's a fun time.

One other thing about the book is not only is it available here at Wellfield, but it's available at many places throughout the eight counties that this book was designed for.

Surprise.

Not just not just know there's a county in which these plants are relevant.

And to find out where if you can't come on 10th or stop in at Wellfield Gardens to get the book, you can go to South Bend Dot Wild ones.org and find their.

All of the locations and events for the book is and The Wild Ones.

That's one of the partnerships that you guys are working with to, and that's part of the organization that you're with.

Yes.

Do you want to touch on what you guys do?

Wow.

This is an actual organization with localized chapters, wild one, South Bend being one.

Okay.

And they are very active in promoting the use of native plants and landscaping, essentially to boost biodiversity.

And so there are monthly workshops and hikes and site visits to your yard, all kinds of things to help gardeners.

I love learning about this kind of stuff, and I hope you guys do see they're watching at home because this is these are incredible resources that we have right here in our community that just help us grow and beautify and just be a part of the community.

So thank you guys so much for putting this on.

Make sure you get rid of ahead of time if you can.

If not, feel free to just show on I feel.

See you then.

Thanks thanks.

Thank you.