Tough Plants for Tough Places: Growing Native Plants on Asphalt

Dawn Burau, of Wild Indigo Gardening, will share her experiences growing native plants in a Somerville yard. Between the her paved backyard and the neighbor's yard and chain-link fence, was roughly a foot of poor soil. Believing that every available strip of land can support the ecosystem, Dawn planted various native plants to see which ones would thrive, which one succumbed to rabbit damage, and which ones just wouldn't make it. Join the journey and learn the top three thriving plants thus far. Get other tips for growing native plants in unlikely places as well!
A lifelong nature lover, Fran Raleigh began studying ecology and wild plants at Marietta College, OH. Earning graduate degrees in plant science in Syracuse (SUNY-ESF) developed her botanical skills and introduced her to new ecosystems. After 30 years teaching college biology in NJ (Saint Peter’s U), Fran retired to Cape Cod in 2018. She loves volunteer work teaching about nature without any grading. Fran has enjoyed the SGC newsletter for years and is excited to be here as a speaker.