Compost and Garden

Encouraging environmental sustainability is a key component of the land management plan for The Grove. Strategies used on the site include composting, installations such as a "bug hotel," raised gardens, limiting the use of harmful chemicals, and retaining leaf litter on the site to expand natural areas, which require little maintenance.

Learn more about how to implement these strategies at home by consulting with the Leon County Extension Agent or your local county agent.

Compost bin system built by Noah Golemboski and Scout Tour 16 for his Eagle Scout project in 2018. Food scraps are added to plant debris to produce soil for raised garden beds or for transplanting small plants. Photo by Amber Soderholm, from The Grove's collection

Built using oak salvaged from The Grove property, the "bug hotel" helps museum staff educate the public about the ecological roles of insects in Tallahassee's urban forest. The different compartments provide ample opportunities for beneficial insects to visit the bug hotel, particularly pollinators. Photo by Miles Feacher, from The Grove's collection

Raised garden beds at The Grove are planted throughout the year with seasonal vegetables. Compare what's growing now with what is shown in this photograph, taken in April 2020. Photo by Amber Soderholm, from The Grove's collection

Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) in May 2020. Photo by Miles Feacher, from The Grove's collection

Seminole squash (a cultivated variety of Cucurita moschata) in May 2020. Photo by Miles Feacher, from The Grove's collection