Sustainable Gardening at UUSD

Gardening Philosophy

The UUSD Landscape Committee has adopted a policy of managing our property based on our 7th Principle, “…respect for the interdependent web of all existence.” We incorporate native plants, use a rain barrel to supply some of our irrigation needs, use ground covers to keep weeds at a minimum, and avoid harmful pesticides and herbicides.

UUSD Memorial Garden

Many UU congregations create areas where they can honor members who have passed on. Since moving to our current home on Route 9 in Lewes in 2015, the UUSD Landscape Committee has been contemplating creating such a space where we could memorialize UUSD members and friends we have lost. After we established the chalice sculpture area, locating a Memorial Garden near this area seemed like an ideal spot.

In spring of 2023, the process started with laying out an area large enough to allow us to plant a variety of native plants Those plants were carefully chosen to provide food and habitat for birds and insects, as well as beauty, in keeping with UUSD’s sustainable gardening practices. The plants will provide color and interest over four seasons and will also enhance the property entrance as people travel up the driveway. A landscape company was hired to remove the existing grass and make the area ready to plant. Plants were gradually added in the spring and fall to make the Garden ready.

We worked with Signarama Company to design a sign that would hold 30 name plates for people to add the names of those they want to remember, limited to deceased Members and Friends of UUSD. Funds obtained from this naming process will be used for ongoing maintenance and enhancements to the Memorial Garden.

Another feature of the Garden is the addition of the honor bricks purchased when we moved into our new home in 2015. These bricks were part of a fundraising project undertaken to obtain chairs for our new sanctuary. Many of the bricks honor those who have passed so it is appropriate that they have found a new home circling the Memorial Garden bed.

Additions to the Memorial Garden Sign

If you wish to add a name to the Memorial Garden sign, the form is here, along with some background information, instructions for writing the check, and where to send it.

Dedication of the Sign

On Sunday, November 5, 2023, Rev. Heather Rion Starr led a dedication ceremony for the new Memorial Garden, acknowledging that this is sacred space where we remember those we have lost.

Native Wildflower Pollinator Garden

In 2022, the UUSD Landscape Committee volunteers created the Native Wildflower Pollinator Garden on the east lawn to attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. This project was undertaken to provide habitat for these endangered species, with the added benefits of creating shelter for other creatures with whom we share the land and adding beauty to our property.

In spring of 2022, the Landscape team used a solarization method to prepare the Garden, putting down sheets of six mil plastic to kill grass and weed seeds. When the volunteers removed the plastic in September, the area was cleared of any leftover vegetation and ready to be planted. Mini-grant funds from the First State Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc., covered the cost of plastic sheeting, plants, and miscellaneous supplies. Fortunately, we also harvested many native wildflower plants from an area housing development that was abandoning their wildflower garden. Using mature plants meant we had blossoms the first year in 2023, instead of waiting 2-3 years for seeds to mature into flowering plants.

The UUSD property has been designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation and the UUSD Landscape Team endeavors to uphold the principles of this designation. The Wildflower Pollinator Garden also reinforces the UU 7^th Principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

The Landscape Committee is proud of their work on this Garden, with special thanks going to committee member and Master Gardener Maggie McLaughlin for the many hours she put into this project. We hope that the Garden will add beauty to our property and support pollinators and others for many years to come.

We encourage area gardeners to add some of these native plants to their own home gardens and also to think about creating similar gardens at other churches or agencies where suitable property is available.

List of Plants

Click here for a list of the plants we have in the wildflower garden and for their bloom time, color, height, spacing, soil, and soil moisture needs.

Final Touch of the Pollinator Garden, September 19, 2023

Thanks to the Landscape  Committee for adding the final touch in the Garden: the newly installed sign that lists the various benefits the Garden provides for the environment. In addition, the sign has a QR code for anyone interested in knowing more about the Garden, including all the types of plants that live there. When you scan the QR code with your phone, it will take you to this website page.

Pollinator Garden, August 2, 2023

For best viewing, click a photo to enlarge it, then follow the arrows to the next photo.

Preparing the Garden

September 2022

Spring 2022

Collaboration with University of Delaware Landscape Architecture Students

UUSD’s Landscape Committee and the University of Delaware Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture Program worked together in 2016 to begin planning sustainable garden areas for our church property. An area student intern in the Landscape Architecture program led a team of L/A students in developing the design of several different gardens on the UUSD property. Some of the student’s great ideas are being incorporated as the UUSD Landscape team