Remembering our friends and family
Many of the plants in the OBIC gardens are native to the Piedmont area of the Chesapeake Bay and were chosen because they evolved in this environment and grow well here without much care. And, because these plants are native to and grown in Maryland, they are also hardier than those of the same species from, say, Pennsylvania or North Carolina. Aside from ease of care and hardiness, however, they were planted here in our overall effort to preserve our Maryland native plants.
In addition, native plants also support native wildlife. When one group - the plants in this case - is removed, the wildlife that depend on those plants cannot survive. Many native songbirds and butterflies are disappearing because of the loss of habitat and food. Thus the Memory Gardens at OBIC help to preserve our native wildlife as well as our native plants.