Northport Native Garden Initiative gets approval for garden outside Village Hall

In a continued effort to beautify Northport with native plants that not only provide visual interest, but offer environmental and educational benefits as well, the Northport Native Garden Initiative (NNGI) is set to begin work on the landscape in front of Village Hall.

At tonight’s Northport Village Board meeting, the NNGI’s donation of plans, plantings and labor were accepted by the board. The project has been in the works since June 10, when NNGI founders Sara Abbass, Matt Gorman and Nicole Tamaro sent a letter to the village seeking permission to create a native garden in the space. The garden plantings will be sourced by the NNGI and paid for by community donations to the non-profit organization, which has been involved in several projects around town since their inception last fall.

“What gets me excited is that the village board sees the value of including native plants and how the partnership between NNGI and the board is an important relationship to have for future projects,” Nicole told the Journal.

Native gardens contribute to a shared ecosystem by promoting the presence and survival of pollinators and wildlife. Natives are also excellent at adapting to their environment, so there’s no need for fertilizers or other potentially harmful chemicals that could make their way into Northport Harbor during storm runoff, which is especially problematic down Main Street.

Before accepting the donation for the Village Hall garden, Mayor Damon McMullen, Village Trustee Dave Weber and Village Administrator Roland Buzard met with the three NNGI founders, who presented detailed plans on perennial selections and placement. Specific plants were chosen to suit sun exposure and soil conditions, and to fit the intended aesthetic.

“We came up with a plan that keeps a formal appearance as you get closer to the building, and allows for a playful layout that repeats itself around the Village sign, but complements the goals of the design,” Sara said. “We created a design that would support bloom periods from spring through late fall, with the opportunity to further the plan along the walkway in future years.”

While at the Village Board meeting, Trustee Weber shared his support and excitement for the project. “I'm looking at this as the start of a great relationship,” he said. “It’s a win all the way around and if this ends up working out, we are going to expand it to other areas.”

The garden will be planted in the fall, which Nicole explained as the best time for natives to establish their roots and get plenty of rainfall. “They may not look pretty past bloom, but come spring they’ll have a strong root system and flourish for all to enjoy throughout the summer,” Nicole said.

While the project will add visual interest to the area, the goal is also to use this as a point of education for the community. NNGI is in discussions with the Village board about adding signs to the area that highlight their initiative and spread awareness about the benefits of natives, and other environmental programs like the FLUPSY floats, throughout Northport.

“The Village has been supportive of our initiative and we are looking forward to future projects, potentially closer to the harbor, with the goal of applying for grants for some of this work to be accomplished,” Sara said.