Sarah's Garden is a rare heirloom garden located on the grounds of the David Davis Mansion, a State of Illinois Historic Site. Neither a re-creation nor a reproduction, the garden still has the original design, location, and some of the same plants that were there when Mrs. Davis created the garden in 1872.
University of Illinois Master Gardeners in McLean County have been involved with the restoration and interpretation of this unique historical garden since 2000. They are responsible for identifying original plants; examining historic photos to determine identity and location of plants; propagating, planting, cultivating, tending, and preserving the garden's unique and historical botanical legacy; and educating the public.
The goal of the project is to restore the plants which Sarah Davis planted when the garden was designed and created in the 1870s. The Master Gardener team is led by Mary Jane Bohall.
Mayor's Manor
The mission of the Master Gardener program is "Helping Others Learn to Grow". As part of the outreach efforts of University of Illinois Extension, Master Gardeners involve people in improving the quality of life and enhancing the economy and environment through horticultural education, applied research, and the resources of the University of Illinois. Master Gardeners connect people with their environment by helping them find sound management practices for home and urban natural resources; create and maintain an aesthetically pleasing environment; promote well-being through people/plant interactions and horticulture therapy; and contribute to a safe, abundant food supply through home fruit and vegetable production.
McLean County Master Gardeners, in addition to assisting with the planting and maintenance of the garden, share horticulture information and encouragement with residents of Mayor's Manor (affordable housing unit for single adults) to help them learn to care for the landscaping and garden areas at the facility. The Mayor's Manor team is led by Charlotte Talkington.
Community Cancer Center
The Community Cancer Center's butterfly garden provides an opportunity for respite for patients of the center as well as family members and friends.It is located on beautiful property that covers over 4 acres of wooded land in the middle of Normal. The garden was started in 1999 by a group of Cancer Center volunteers and is now maintained by the McLean County Master Gardeners. While they are working in the garden, visitors may take advantage of the Master Gardeners' expertise and inquire about the plants, flowers, and wildlife observed in the garden. The Cancer Center team is led by Erica Kaisner-Hundman.
Adopt a Pot
Each spring, the Downtown Bloomington Association offers local businesses, community groups and families the opportunity to participate in downtown Bloomington's Adopt-a-Pot program. The McLean County Master Gardeners are involved each season with Adopt-A-Pot. They partner with over a hundred other people to fill seventy large flowerpotswith beautiful floral arrangements that decorate the downtown area.
Plastic Pot Recycling
Gardening provides us with many benefits, but it also leads to a lot of waste. And gardeners may not realize how much they add to landfills each year. Cell packs, flats, and assorted nursery pots alone account for over 320 million pounds each year. The only large-scale garden pot recycling project in the nation is at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, which is headed by Dr. Steven Cline. This has inspired a number of groups in McLean County to come together to offer gardeners, landscapers, and nurseries an opportunity to recycle their plastic pots this year.
The partners in this pilot recycling project are: McLean County Master Gardeners, Ecology Action Center, Illinois State University, Town of Normal, McLean County, and the University of Illinois McLean County Extension Office. It is our goal to have other private and public organizations join our effort.
We will be collecting plastic pots at the ISU Recycling Shed off of West Gregory St. and Garden Rd on Saturday mornings. The dates remaining are: Sept.20, and Oct.18, from 8am - 12pm.
