11/06/2020
Shiloh School native plant garden is among area’s hidden treasures
The historic Shiloh School site offers visitors a thriving native plant garden.
“The garden is still a work in progress and is a little off the beaten path, but the butterflies, bees and other pollinators have found it,” said Jack Moore, president of Northumberland Preservation Inc. (NPI).
“During the annual National Butterfly Count, local volunteers make a beeline, so to speak, for this garden and its variety of butterflies,” said Moore.
Many identifying plant markers are in place, thanks to a generous donation from the Northern Neck Native Plant Society. Approximately 40 species of plants native to the coastal plain of Virginia are in the garden. Accustomed to our climate, they survive better than cultivated plants and are favored by native pollinators.
These plants would have been familiar to the children who attended the Shiloh School, he added.
The Shiloh School, erected in 1906, and its “mother” school (1884) welcome visitors, and in recent years, the 1906 school has hosted community programs.
“In the future, we hope to erect a kiosk at the site to describe both the schools and the garden,” said NPI board member Camille Grabb. “If anyone would like to help with this project, please let Jack Moore know (580-8629).”
The flowering plants were selected to bloom at different points in the growing season so the garden looks different every few weeks. The schools and garden are located on Shiloh School Road off Jessie duPont Memorial Highway between Wicomico Church and Kilmarnock.
Combine a stop with a visit to Dameron Marsh or Hughlett Point, just a few miles away, said Moore.
Shiloh School has picnic tables and toilet facilities.
“As for the garden, if you’re looking for hardy plants for your sunny space, this is the place to visit,” he said.
