THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS!

The creation of the O’Hara Nature Center and surrounding gardens would not have been possible without the generous support of our donors.

  • Nita Glickberg – $15,000
    Inside materials and supplies, Xeriscape Garden
  • Heather Thomas and Chet Kerr – $10,000
    – Front Rain and Bog Gardens
  • Amy Sherwood – $5,000 -Edible Garden
  • Natalie & Peter Derby – $5,000
    -Bird, Bee, and Butterfly Garden
  • Keira & Brian Smith, Bob & Lenore Munigle – $5,000
    -Rear Rain Garden
  • Gerrie Shapiro – $5,000
    -Shade Garden
  • Church of St. Barnabas – $1,500
    -Entrance Sign

THE DEMONSTRATION GARDENS

There are ten gardens on the grounds of the O’Hara Nature Center. Each of these has been designed to work harmoniously with the environment to preserve water resources, provide a natural habitat for pollinators, and to be visually pleasing for visitors. The goals of the demonstration gardens are:

  • Use, to the extent possible, native plants, shrubs and trees in the landscape.
  • Choose low maintenance options, given the limited resources of the Village and the reliance on volunteers to sustain the landscape.
  • Incorporate deer resistant plants, shrubs, and trees.
  • Demonstrate ideas and uses for homeowners in the suburban landscape.
  • Provide curriculum rich content for schools, environmental and horticultural organizations, and other nature-related groups.

For further information, to donate, to volunteer or help in other ways, please contact Joe Archino at the Irvington Parks & Recreation Dept. Telephone: (914) 591-7736 or email jarchino@irvingtonny.gov.

Sustainable Gardening

Lasagna Mulching at the O’Hara Nature Center

Mulching is an important aspect in the creation of the gardens at the O’Hara Nature Center. Mulching improves nutrient and water retention in the soil, and suppresses weed growth. Mulch is a layer of decaying organic matter on the ground, and it occurs naturally in all forests. Mulch forms a necessary link in nutrient cycling that is vital for our soils.

Lasagna gardening or ‘sheet composting’ is an organic ‘no dig, no till’ method of garden building in which layers of organic materials are placed over one another. These layers will “cook down” over time, resulting in rich, light soil that helps plants thrive. Lasagna gardening is great for the environment, because it uses yard waste by composting it in place to feed the garden.

 

 

 

 

Pollinator Hotel

For more information regarding the fees found in our Pollinator Hotel click here