Clinton, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a free workshop on Planting and Maintaining a Native Garden from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5, at MDC’s Clinton Office. Purposeful plantings and wise care help native plants provide beauty and structure in a garden.

MDC staff will talk about some of the plant species that work well in landscaping, when and how to plant them, and what type of maintenance helps them get established and flourish. Native plants are adapted to Missouri’s soils and weather patterns. Once established, they can require less watering and maintenance than non-native plants. Natives also host pollinators and insects valuable as food for songbirds.

In this workshop, participants will work with MDC staff in some maintenance and planting of an existing native garden with pollinator friendly plants on the Clinton Office grounds. Participants should come prepared to work in the garden. MDC will provide tools, or participants may bring their own.

The workshop is open to participants ages 11 and older. Registration is required. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Bp. For more information, contact Ginger Miller, MDC conservation educator, at Ginger.Miller@mdc.mo.gov.