State House Cafeteria Garden to Get a Face Lift

Collaboration Begins with Invasive Species Removal and Education

Montpelier, VT — 23 July 2007 — Blue jeans and gardening gloves will replace the normally sober attire of shirt and tie at the State House this week. Vermont Master Gardeners, The Nature Conservancy’s Wise on Weeds (WOW!) program and the State of Vermont Dept. of Buildings and General Services will jointly host two "Recognize and Remove" workshops, the first step in a collaborative project to renovate the State House cafeteria garden.

Hidden behind the State House, yet in full view of the many visitors, legislators, staff and citizens who meet in the cafeteria, is an overgrown garden area. Once resplendent, with hostas, spring wildflowers, ferns and other native species adapted to this shady environment, the area is now overrun with bishop’s weed, vinca and bracken fern. The goal of the three-way collaborative is not only to revive the garden and enhance the experience of visitors to the cafeteria, but also to educate garden viewers on invasive plants and native alternatives.

Davis Schütz, State Curator said, “I was delighted when Vermont Master Gardeners approached me to discuss rehabilitating this garden area. Although it seldom appears on the many photographs visitors take of the State House, the garden is viewed by many who work and visit the State House day-in and day-out.”

The impetus behind the project, Loring Starr, Master Gardener, State House staff person and professional gardener commented, “The cafeteria is a beautiful setting for viewing the garden. Curator David Schütz was looking for help with the garden, and the volunteer Master Gardeners are always looking for projects that help educate home gardeners. The State House, with over 150,000 visitors each year and 180 legislators who are ambassadors in their home communities, is a fantastic location for public outreach."

Wise on Weeds (WOW!) is a public outreach and education program, hosted by The Nature Conservancy, with the goal of teaching gardeners and landowners how to recognize, remove and replace invasive plants. Invasive species that have been innocently introduced over the years as pot herbs or garden ornamentals can sometimes get out of control. These aggressive growers without their natural controls can threaten Vermont’s native trees, wildflowers and wildlife. Bishop’s weed is listed on The Nature Conservancy list of top invaders.

WOW! Program Coordinator Sara Kuebbing visited the Statehouse in June. “I’m afraid there is really only one guaranteed way to remove bishop’s weed,” she said when communicating the bad news, “Smothering is in order.” Kuebbing recounted horror stories she has heard from other gardeners around the state, as well as creative control methods, “Some gardeners have tried it all, even using chickens and goats to rid their yard of this pest.”

Bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria), also know as goutweed or snow-on-the-mountain is quarantined and cannot be sold in VT, MA or CT. Gardeners should be aware that the plant is still sold extensively in other states as a reliable and fast growing ground cover, and can be shipped to VT. Gardeners and land managers have found to their dismay that the weed grows too fast and is exceptionally well suited to grow just about anywhere. Left unchecked it will crowd out other plants as seen in the cafeteria garden, and in a woodland setting it can prevent the regeneration of seedlings from native trees and shrubs.

Controlling the plant requires removing all of the under ground rhizomes, even a small piece left behind can sprout the next year. Begin by removing as much plant and root materials as possible, which should be stored in black plastic bags in the sun for at least two weeks. Cover the area with black plastic, newspaper or other materials that will block all light. The area should be monitored regularly and be covered for one full year.

The good news is that the spread of bishop’s weed is mostly human induced, either by intentional plantings or the dumping of infected yard waste. Those attending the workshop will learn how to recognize and remove the plants, and other important steps such as cleaning the soles of shoes when leaving an infected garden. Once infestations are removed, and attention is paid to any new material being brought in, a garden can be rehabilitated.

Starr concluded, “It will take a lot of hard work but I am confident that with our many volunteers we can rescue this garden.” And she added with a smile, “I’m looking forward to our cafeteria garden earning its official WOW! status!”

Posters in the cafeteria will be updated regularly to inform visitors about the progress of the project.

The public is invited to join in the next "Recognize and Remove" workshop to be held on Saturday July 28th. Meet on the west/Baldwin Street side of the State House at 11am. Learn how to remove this plant from your own garden while helping give the State House cafeteria garden a face-lift.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.