Recently, a Girl Scout of Suffolk County named Adria Vargas completed her Girl Scout Gold Award project in partnership with Spadefoot Design and Construction, where they created a brand-new native planting at Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Sayville, a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Vargas contacted Spadefoot Design and Construction for guidance to create a native planting at this site. As a result, the company donated the design, many of the plants, and provided the installation. 

Long Island native plants include many favorite flowers, ferns, vines, and trees that have flourished in this region for thousands of years. Native plantings are more sustainable, requiring less water usage and far less maintenance while also benefiting local pollinators, including butterflies. Resilient on Long Island’s environment, native plants are suited for humid summers and harsh winters, with many perennials a perfect option.

“Across Long Island, we’re seeing nursing homes, assisted -living facilities, and homeowner associations increasingly are choosing native plantings,” said Frank Piccininni, owner of Spadefoot Design and Construction. “This project is a perfect example of how anyone can make a tremendous impact at the local level by coordinating a project that supports and beautifies the environment. I have immense gratitude for Ms. Vargas and  her Girl Scout troop for making this possible, as well as Good Samaritan Nursing Home for seeing the benefits.

“I am proud that so many people supported my project and agreed that it was an important project for our community,” Vargas, a Sayville resident and Suffolk County Girl Scout member, said. “Not only will it make our community a nicer place to live with native flowers and plants, it will help our environment in many ways for years to come.”

“Bravo to all those involved with this inspirational and kind-hearted project. It’s great to see the next generation immersing itself in ecologically mindful gardens,” said Matt Gettinger, owner of Long Island Natives, who donated some of the plants used in the garden.

“As all the tree huggers of the ‘60s and ‘70s continue to age, they are showing that they prefer genuine nature to the antiseptic plastic yards of suburbia with their landscaping choices,” Marshall Brown, executive director and co-founder of The Long Island Conservancy, said. “There are so many tangible benefits for our environment to plant native, and more people are seeing the aesthetics of a native yard compared to the sterile manicured yards people have grown accustomed to. With volunteers like Adria and the Girl Scouts, there are incredible opportunities to create native plantings at so many potential locations.”

For more information about native planting projects, contact Spadefoot Design and Construction at www.spadefootny.com.