The Veteran Memorials Circle
Phase II is in the Works
Phase II site plan for the new Veteran Memorials Circle native plant garden
With Phase I Planted, We’re on to Phase II
The Garden Club of Yorktown has put forward a rejuvenation plan that has been sectioned out into three phases and will take several years to complete for both financial and logistical reasons. The Phase I plan involving the main park circle was planted in the fall of 2024 with native plants that are sun-loving, drought-tolerant and beneficial to pollinators and birds. More about Phase I can be found here: https://www.gardenclubofyorktown.org/vmc-garden-details.
Phase II will protect the plants that are in the circle beds and remedy the erosion problem on the embankment that surrounds half of the circle. Native plants with erosion control characteristics along with drought and salt tolerance (for when paths are salted in winter) will be planted to stabilize the steep slope and act as an attractive backdrop to the circle garden.
We are now working to start Phase II of our project. Plants need to be ordered and we need funds to do that. Will you support us?
With your support, Phase II of the VMC Native Garden project is critical to complete the garden and will be a low-maintenance solution to a steep slope that abuts the circle. But we need donation funding to purchase the plants for Phase II of our plan. Below is a list of the native plants for Phase II of our garden design with short descriptions to give you an idea of what’s been planned. Will you continue to help make the new Veteran Memorials Circle Native Plant Garden possible and sponsor the plants seen below? Please consider sponsoring any of the plants existing or planned for the new garden.
Amsonia Hubrichii (Threadleaf Bluestar).
This amazing, drought-tolerant perennial sways with the wind like a grass. Blue flowers top feathery stalks April – May.
Andropogon gerardii ‘Blackhawks’ (Big Bluestem). Tall, native grass with amazing dark purple stems that arise through the summer. Blooms in September.
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Orange flowers on Milkweed species. Feeds Monarch butterflies. Blooms June – August.
Asclepias verticillata (Whirled Milkweed). Delicate, tall Milkweed variety with white flowers. Pollinator favorite! Blooms all summer.
Aster ericoides ‘Snow Flurry’ (Aromatic Aster). This prolific variety of Aster makes a great groundcover and is carpeted with blooms in September – October. Pollinators love these flowers late in the season.
Baptisia alba (White Indigo).
A tall, drought-tolerant perennial with white blooms on tall spires. Blooms June – August. Pollinators love these flowers.
Callirhoe involucrata (Purple Poppy Mallow).
Mat-forming perennial that attracts hummingbirds! Drought-tolerant, groundcover with beautiful cup-like flowers. Blooms May – June.
Coreopsis ‘Red Satin’ (Red Tickseed). A nativar of Threadleaf Tickseed, this drought-tolerant, red-flowered variety blooms from June – August.
Diervilla sessilifolia ‘Cool Splash’ (Bush Honeysuckle) Low-growing native Honeysuckle shrub (non-invasive) that produces small yellow flowers that pollinators love. Blooms June – July.
Echinacea purpurea ‘Fragrant Angel’ (Coneflower).
This white variety was highly rated for its attractiveness to pollinators. Blooms June – August.
Juniperus horizontalis ‘Bar Harbor' (Creeping Juniper). Evergreen groundcover shrub that provides cover for wildlife. Great for erosion control and tricky slopes.
Monarda fistulosa ‘Claire Grace’ (Wild Bergamot). Lavender flowers attract a variety of pollinators. Seed heads are loved by goldfinches. Blooms from June – September.
Panicum virgatum 'Ruby Ribbons’. Warm season grass with bright red blades mixed in with the green ones. Blooms mid-summer.
Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Blue' (Creeping Phlox). This early spring bloomer makes a great groundcover in dry areas of the garden. Blooms April – May.
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium “October Skies’ (Aromatic Aster). Wonderful native perennial that is carpeted in blue/purple blooms from late September – November.
Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues' (Little Bluestem). A variety of our native grass with blue-green blades that become tipped with red in the fall and adds color and texture to a perennial garden.