ANPP congratulates Rachael Bernard on her silver certified habitat located in Lafayette! Rachael is currently enrolled in the Acadiana Master Naturalist Program and has been learning about native plants and their importance. They purchased their home in Lafayette in 2019. It is in a traditional subdivision with a grass lawn. They have been wanting to expand their front garden for some time and were inspired by the ANPP to restore the yard to a native garden. They were told that the neighborhood was originally marshland that had to be built up. Their yard is at a low elevation compared to the surrounding houses and can hold water at times. They planted plants that like moist soils along the edges of the garden, which are the wettest; prairie plants were used to fill in the beds. They used these plants knowing that the deep roots of prairie plants would help with water absorption in the future. Rachael began in early April by marking off the section of her lawn she wanted to restore with garden edging. She noted which areas got the most sun and were wettest, then collected native plants from local sources like The Urban Naturalist and Acadiana Native Plant Project. She learned about the growing conditions each species prefers. Then, she planted all the native plants directly into the soil and let them recover for a week before adding cardboard and mulch around the plants to suppress the grass. Rachael also set out bird baths, bird feeders, and pollinator waterers to help attract wildlife, and she has already noticed more pollinators!
Rachael is dedicating her garden to her father who passed away last year. “You Belong Among the Wildflowers”
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