MDC-assisted garden at Wilder Museum in Mansfield receives honor

MANSFIELD, Mo. – If she were alive today, it is safe to say Laura Ingalls Wilder would approve of the recognition a special garden at her homeplace has received.

A native plant garden covering more than 4,500 square feet at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum in Mansfield has been named a Native Garden of Excellence by the Grow Native! program. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) furnished approximately half of the price of the establishment of this garden in 2016 and it has flourished since then.

“Our garden is a beautiful reminder of the once abundant prairie Laua Ingalls Wilder would have traveled through by covered wagon,” said Susan Essman, a former board member of the museum’s Wilder Home Association and currently a Master Gardener. “The 2,000 native plants in our garden are situated in front of the museum and attract many pollinators, including the monarch butterfly. We are so indebted to the Missouri Department of Conservation, whose support made this possible.”

Essman, along with MDC Community Conservation Planner Ronda Burnett, hosted a tour of the museum’s garden on Saturday, June 21. The tour included information about the history, design, and maintenance of the native plantings at the site with details about different species present and stewardship techniques that are in use.

Wilder, who was known for “Little House on the Prairie” and other books describing her childhood in the American Midwest, lived near Mansfield in Wright County for much of her adult life. Since her books are rich with descriptions of the natural world around her, it seems fitting that a native plant garden would be part of the historic site as a further way to honor her life and her work.

In addition to recognizing the author’s love of nature and providing aesthetic appeal to the Wilder Museum, the native plantings also have a biological value. The eleven species of native wildflowers and four species of native grasses provide much-needed habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. From a landscaping perspective, the plants also provide valuable erosion control at the site.

“In this garden that’s planted on a steep slope, deep roots hold the soil in place underground while, above-ground, the plants provide benefits for wildlife, viewing pleasure for people, and protect water quality,” Burnett said.

The Grow Native! Gardens of Excellence program features spots that vary in size from multi-acre plots associated with commercial properties to much smaller community plots and gardens. All sites in the program share two attributes:

• They have been carefully planned.
• They are regularly maintained.

The goal of the Gardens of Excellence program is the same as it is for the Grow Native! program – to promote the widespread use of native landscaping for aesthetic appeal and environmental benefits. The development of the Gardens of Excellence program was developed with input and technical assistance from MDC in 2021. Grow Native! is a native plant marketing and education program of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. Information about the Gardens of Excellence program or about Grow Native! can be found at grow.native.org.

Information about the benefits of native plants can also be found at mdc.mo.gov.