Penn State Extension - Northampton County

🌿 Louise Moore Park Pollinator Habitat
Easton, PA
We continue our Master Gardener Demonstration Garden Spotlight with our Louise Moore Park site, located around the historic stone farmhouse that now serves as the Northampton County Parks office.

This is the first Master Gardener demonstration garden in the county to be certified as a Penn State Pollinator Friendly Habitat. Certified in March 2026, it serves as a demonstration of what an ecologically functional native landscape can look like in a public setting, while still being replicable for home gardeners.

Over four growing seasons, the Master Gardener team has transformed what was once a mix of overgrown beds, lawn areas, and mulch-only spaces into an all-season habitat designed to support pollinators, wildlife, and overall ecosystem health. This includes converting lawn into the patio garden, with new additions this spring on the north side of the farmhouse (native shade garden) and along the west side of the front walkway.

A portion of the habitat extends down a sloped area behind the farmhouse toward a constructed wetland. Here you’ll find large plantings of Phlox subulata (moss phlox) and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry), and an expanding milkweed planting underway. The pond edge space is being developed into a future Monarch Waystation, supporting breeding and migration as the planting area continues to grow.

The land was originally granted by the Penn family in 1796 to Friedrick Seiler for contributions in Revolutionary War. The stone farmhouse, built in 1829 by Dr. Abraham Seiler using materials sourced directly from the property, served as his home, where he practiced traditional “powwowing.” In the 20th century, the property became the estate of Hugh Moore, founder of the Dixie Cup Company, and his wife Louise. In 1973, Louise Moore donated the land to Northampton County, creating what is now Louise Moore Park. She also served as the first chair of the Northampton County Parks system, helping guide the early development of the park.

Louise Moore Park has also recently been designated as an arboretum, reinforcing its role in plant conservation, education, and public enjoyment. The diverse collection of trees, shrubs, and natural areas across the park complements the pollinator habitat, creating a broader landscape that supports ecological diversity.

✨ What you’ll find:
• 8 distinct garden segments representing styles home gardeners can replicate
• 45 native plant species, including 30+ host plants for native insects (more species being added every season)
• Continuous native plant blooms from early spring through fall (see Patio garden photos from April through October)
• Habitat features designed for true ecological function: provide food, shelter, water, and nesting space year-round (even winter)

🌱 This garden was built over time through:
• Donated plants from volunteers’ home gardens
• Select plant purchases by Northampton County Parks from local nurseries and the yearly Master Gardenernative plant plug sale
• Dividing existing plants across multiple seasons

🌼 Seasonal highlights:

🌷Spring: Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine), Phlox subulata (moss phlox), Sisyrinchium angustifolium (blue-eyed grass), Antennaria plantaginifolia (pussytoes), Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold), Cornus florida (flowering dogwood), Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry)

🌻Summer: Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower), Monarda spp. (bee balm), Asclepias spp. (milkweed), Liatris spicata (blazing star), Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ (coreopsis)

🍁Fall: Solidago spp. (goldenrod), Symphyotrichum spp. (asters), Conoclinium coelestinum (blue mistflower)

🌱 Created and maintained by Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Northampton County:
Magda Masterson, Susan Albert, Julie Drago, Tara Gomez, Alison Rothrock, and Barbara Schroeder

📍 Louise Moore Park
Northampton County Parks Office
151 Country Club Rd, Easton, PA
(West side of Country Club Road)

Stay tuned for announcements of educational programming at the habitat this summer!

🌱 Part of our Master Gardener Demo Garden Series

🌿 Oscht Gaarde & Heritage Garden
Lower Macungie Township Historical Society

We continue our Master Gardener Demonstration Garden Spotlight with a truly meaningful project in Lower Macungie Township.

Oscht Gaarde, located along the east side of the barn, was designed and installed by Master Gardener volunteers in 2022 as a native plant demonstration garden. It highlights species that would have been familiar to early settlers, connecting today’s landscape to the region’s natural history.

Right nearby, the Heritage Garden offers a complementary perspective. This space features a mix of native and non-native plants, reflecting the long tradition of people bringing meaningful plants with them from their homelands for beauty, food, and medicine.

Together, these gardens tell a powerful story about how plants connect culture, history, and ecology.

✨ What you’ll find:
• Native plants that support pollinators and wildlife
• Species historically present in early Pennsylvania landscapes
• A mix of ornamental and cultural plantings in the Heritage Garden
• Educational brochures available on site to guide visitors

🌱 Featured plants include:
• New England aster and golden alexanders for pollinators
• Little bluestem and prairie dropseed for habitat and structure
• Mountain mint and hyssop for high pollinator value
• Sweetspire, dogwoods, and magnolia in the Heritage Garden

🌱 Behind the scenes:
This project was more than planting a garden. It began with developing a full proposal and securing approval from both the Environmental Advisory Council and township staff. The team carefully planned around site constraints to ensure ongoing access for maintenance.

Installation began in fall 2022 with volunteers removing sod, preparing the soil, sourcing native plants, planting, and mulching the space. Materials were thoughtfully selected and coordinated, including plant sourcing and mulch delivery.
To support the educational mission, the team also created detailed brochures for visitors that highlight plant selections, note which are native or non-native, and connect each garden to its historical and ecological purpose. (Claudia Allen copy, Judy Ross design)

🌱 Maintained by Master Gardener volunteers:
Claudia Mallah, Jane Suhoki, Rob Sayre, Jen Mack
Caroline Cuff, Suzanne Cuff, Marianne Macneil
Spring through fall offers something new to see, from early blooms to late-season pollinator activity.

📍 Lower Macungie Township Historical Society
Bartholomew Center for the Preservation of Lower Macungie Township History
Camp Olympic barn
3120 South Cedar Crest Blvd.
Emmaus, PA

🌱 Part of our Master Gardener Demo Garden Series