Blue Bell Greenhouse

Last week our group visited Blue Bell Greenhouse to gather information for the landscaping tips section of our guide for new landowners near Barrington Headwaters Conservation land. Blue Bell Greenhouse is located on North River Road in Lee, New Hampshire. We met Amy Daskal and Ann Tappan. Amy and her husband own the greenhouse and Ann, a member of the Lee Conservation Committee, works there.

Ann is very knowledgeable about native and cultivated plant species. She recommends planting cultivars of native plant species that are more natural in appearance and impact. She showed us the cultivar Goldenrod, which is beneficial to native fauna. Ann said ragweed and goldenrod are often confused. Ragweed may be an issue for hay-fever sufferers, but goldenrod is not.

Other beneficial species Ann recommends are aster, daisies, coroepsis, and echinaceau. All encourage butterflies and other pollinator populations. Ann suggested we read the book Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens by Douglas Tallamy, and visit Pawtuckaway Nursery on Rte. 125 in Lee to look at larger bush and tree varieties.

Amy, who has owned Blue Bell Greenhouse for 22 years with her husband Yehuda, was pleased to hear of our effort to inform new homeowners moving into a wooded rural environment. She commented that people often move here from suburban areas and try to recreate the suburban landscapes with which they are familiar. Perhaps with a little information, we can encourage landowners to garden in cooperation with their natural setting.

Blue Bell Greenhouse can be visited on-line at: www.bluebellgreenhouse.com

Germination- The Beginning

The last two days have marked the initial stages of our research. We have begun identifying the flora in the area of the headwaters that borders the River's Edge Housing development. After two days we have identified 32 species and are excited to help promote preservation of the natural biodiversity in this area. We are working in collaboration with a fine research team (Women in the Woods) who are dedicated to collecting data on the distribution and composition of all of the plant species in this designated area. After spending the morning in the woods with them, our team is confident in their techniques in data collection. We are excited to continue our research on these species in an effort to provide facts that we anticipate local homeowners will find inviting and helpful.  The collection of this information is the first step toward the creation of our guidebook. 

Overall, we are extremely impressed by the enthusiasm and support that we have received from the local communities. Each contact that we have made has had a plethora of knowledge and insight into additional contacts that we should make. This positive response ends the week with a rewarding feeling in that our efforts will prove fruitful.