Silva Creek Botanical Garden -photo by Elroy LimmerGila Native Plant Society Debuts Master Plan for Its Silva Creek Botanical Garden
Open House at the Garden August 5th from 8:30-11:30 am
 
One of Silver City’s little-known gems, the Silva Creek Botanical Garden on N. Virginia St., is a public garden owned by the Town of Silver City and managed by the Gila Native Plant Society (GNPS). In 2022–2023, GNPS worked with a landscape designer to create a Master and Interpretive Plan for the garden that will expand and refine the existing garden to showcase the relationships between our native plants and the region’s people, wildlife, and climate.
 
Planned new garden elements include a Children’s Pollinator Garden, exploring the relations of plants with pollinators; an Ethnobotany Garden, displaying how people have used plants for food, fiber and medicine; a Front Yard Garden, demonstrating the most reliable and useful plants for the home landscape; a Habitat Thicket, demonstrating the planting and maintenance principles that create good habitat for birds and other wildlife; a Grasslands Exhibit, featuring important native grasses, accent plants and sculpture; a Life in the Creek Exhibit; and a decorative and educational tile mural, which will also commemorate donors and exceptional volunteers. And there will be major improvements to the garden’s entrances, seating areas, and maintenance area. These ambitious projects will be Betsy Kaido [left] leading a field trip in the garden - photo by Elroy Limmerimplemented in phases in the coming years.
 
The public is invited to tour “stations” throughout the garden from 8:30 to 11:30 am on August 5th, when volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and explain plans for individual elements. The Silva Creek Botanical Garden is located on Virginia Street two blocks north of highway 180.
 
GNPS President Margie Gibson invites everyone to come by the garden and see what’s in the works: “The botanical garden is a wonderful resource for our community, and we are excited about the plans for its future. We look forward to welcoming Silver City to the garden on August 5th!”
 
YCC volunteers working on water flow for the garden - photo by Susan CampbellFor more information contact:
Marty Eberhardt, 858-442-5866
martyleberhardt@gmail.com
or Margie Gibson, gilanative@gmail.com