YDL Whittaker Gardens
Our gardens can be seen from the story room at YDL-Whittaker. These gardens are part of our effort to offer outdoor health and STEM programs in the warmer months. Youth and families will plant seeds and learn about plant science in the spring, and harvest plants and learn about healthy cooking in the late summer and fall. There are three gardens at YDL-Whittaker. Scroll down to learn more.
Our Vegetable Garden has a variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Some will be in season during summer, others will take longer and can be harvested during fall. Keep an eye out for the sign of what’s in season and when you can pick the produce! This garden is built for the community, everyone is welcome to have a taste.
Our Pollinator Garden has Michigan native plants and flowers in it, and provides nectar and pollen for a variety of pollinating insects. See if you can spot any next time you are in the garden! We have a small bee house that was made for us by The Bee Conservancy that provides homes for small pollinator bees and helps up keep our garden and the ecosystem healthy!
Our final addition to the Whittaker outdoor space is the Rain Garden. It was build with the help of Community Partners for Clean Streams Program of Washtenaw County. The rain garden helps us manage our storm water, and prevent flooding. The plants in our rain garden are all native to Michigan and provide more food for the pollinators as well as help filter pollution out of our water. They work hard to protect our environment!