Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- June 19, 2007
Pennsylvania's gardeners attracted to native plant species (:51)
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Suggested Intro:
WHEN IT COMES TO LANDSCAPE PLANTS, MANY OF THE STATE'S BEST GARDENERS MAY BE TURNING AWAY FROM THE EXOTIC AND BACK TO THE FAMILIAR. THAT, ACCORDING TO A PENN STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION EXPERT. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:
Story:
(:16) PENN STATE'S MASTER GARDENERS ARE SOME OF THE STATE'S TOP AMATEUR HORTICULTURISTS, SKILLED AT NURTURING THE UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL. BUT MASTER GARDENER STATE COORDINATOR GINGER PRYOR SAYS MORE OF HER MEMBERS ARE PASSING UP OFF-BEAT FLOWERS AND SHRUBS TO FOCUS ON PLANTS THAT ARE NATIVE TO PENN'S WOODS :
Pryor Actuality:
(:19) "I THINK PEOPLE ARE BECOMING MORE AWARE OF HOW WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THEY FEEL USING NATIVES MIGHT HELP IN REDUCING PESTICIDES, BECAUSE OUR NATIVE PLANTS ARE TYPICALLY MORE RESISTANT TO INSECTS AND DISEASES, AND THEY'RE TYPICALLY A LOT LESS CARE. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WANTING NATIVE PLANTS."(:16) PRYOR SAYS SWEETBAY MAGNOLIA, SERVICEBERRY AND RIVER BIRCH TREES ARE GAINING IN POPULARITY, AS ARE SHRUBS SUCH AS MAPLE LEAF VIBURNUM AND WINTERBERRY THAT ATTRACT LOCAL WILDLIFE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM AT YOUR COUNTY PENN STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE. I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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