Elaine Fogerty, Executive Director of Laurelwood Arboretum, will present a free program on Native Plants for the Home Landscape on Sunday, September 11, at 2 p.m. at the Knippenberg Center for Education at Laurelwood Arboretum, 725 Pines Lake Drive West, Wayne. The program will feature a talk and slide show about the history and role of native plants. This will be followed by a tour of the arboretum’s Native Plant Demonstration Garden.

Ms. Fogerty was formerly County Agricultural Assistant, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Passaic County and has taught many Master Gardener classes. “Native plants are species that were present at the beginning of European settlement in North America and have evolved to grow in a specific region,” she said. “Our demonstration garden features plants that are native to New Jersey and are particularly well-suited to home landscapes in our region.”

Last year, Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum (FOLA) was awarded a grant from the California-based Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust for the development of the Native Plant Demonstration Garden at Laurelwood. The funds were supplemented with a grant from the Ira A. Roschelle, M.D. Family Foundation. Fogerty designed the 6,000-square-foot garden and planted suitable native plants. Interpretive signage and a brochure direct visitors around the space, describing the plants, their value to the environment, and their role in the home landscape.

The September program is one in a series of educational programs for the Native Plant Demonstration Garden. “As more and more homeowners become aware of the value of native plants in the environment, they are seeking plants suitable for their own landscapes.” Fogerty said.  “Our programs will demonstrate the best native plants for home landscape use in our region.