T-STEM East HS - Girl Scout Garden Project
Donation protected
Girl Scout Troop #10012 of Memphis, TN is partnering with T-STEM Academy East High School to clean-up and beautify the courtyard in the front of the school.
Over the years, the gardens have been poorly maintained. The beautiful Crepe Myrtles have been infested with Soft Scale and now hacked nearly to the ground. The flowerbeds are overgrown with grass. The beautiful Live Oak is overgrown with weeds and is the likely source of the Soft Scale. Yellow jackets nest beneath the Live Oak, making the area unsafe for the students to enjoy the shade during their lunch breaks. The Willow Oaks have been topped, are now dead, and need to be removed. The Yaupon Hollies under the windows need to be trimmed way back and weeded.
We have met with a professional landscaper and volunteer to get his advice on how to proceed.
We will be hosting a clean-up and planting day on December 14 from 12 noon - 3pm at East HS. This is a great time to plant in Memphis, before the cold really sets in. All are welcome to participate in the clean-up and planting!
Here’s the initial plan:
Recommendations for a beautiful and sustainable courtyard garden
1. Crepe Myrtles – treat for Soft Scale
2. Willow Oaks – cut to the ground and put planters on top with annuals
3. The front flower beds by the wall – till and plant a rose garden with butterfly bushes to draw beneficial pollinators, hummingbirds and butterflies to the courtyard.
4. Street Level flower beds – plant daffodils for early spring color and more hedges/bushes.
5. Live Oak – treat for yellow jackets, weed and have an arborist look at the tree, which appears to have fungus and carpenter ants, due to poor branch removal.
Needless to say, this is an ambitious project with some significant cost associated with it. However, the T-STEM/East administrative team and the GS Troop think the benefits to the students, faculty, staff, families, alumni and community will be priceless, as it will inspire a deepened pride in our wonderful school!
Your contribution to this worthy, community project is most appreciated!
Over the years, the gardens have been poorly maintained. The beautiful Crepe Myrtles have been infested with Soft Scale and now hacked nearly to the ground. The flowerbeds are overgrown with grass. The beautiful Live Oak is overgrown with weeds and is the likely source of the Soft Scale. Yellow jackets nest beneath the Live Oak, making the area unsafe for the students to enjoy the shade during their lunch breaks. The Willow Oaks have been topped, are now dead, and need to be removed. The Yaupon Hollies under the windows need to be trimmed way back and weeded.
We have met with a professional landscaper and volunteer to get his advice on how to proceed.
We will be hosting a clean-up and planting day on December 14 from 12 noon - 3pm at East HS. This is a great time to plant in Memphis, before the cold really sets in. All are welcome to participate in the clean-up and planting!
Here’s the initial plan:
Recommendations for a beautiful and sustainable courtyard garden
1. Crepe Myrtles – treat for Soft Scale
2. Willow Oaks – cut to the ground and put planters on top with annuals
3. The front flower beds by the wall – till and plant a rose garden with butterfly bushes to draw beneficial pollinators, hummingbirds and butterflies to the courtyard.
4. Street Level flower beds – plant daffodils for early spring color and more hedges/bushes.
5. Live Oak – treat for yellow jackets, weed and have an arborist look at the tree, which appears to have fungus and carpenter ants, due to poor branch removal.
Needless to say, this is an ambitious project with some significant cost associated with it. However, the T-STEM/East administrative team and the GS Troop think the benefits to the students, faculty, staff, families, alumni and community will be priceless, as it will inspire a deepened pride in our wonderful school!
Your contribution to this worthy, community project is most appreciated!
Organizer
Lisa Hall
Organizer
Memphis, TN
