House No. 60, Wellston Villas.
Habitat for Humanity in Houston County is working with the City of Warner Robins to reclaim the Wellston Villas area of the city. Wellston Villas, the first housing development in Warner Robins, was originally built by active duty military and veterans.
Each construction site is landscaped by Houston County Master Gardeners with the assistance of volunteers from around the community including active duty military and veterans’ groups. Master Gardeners instruct the volunteers and partner families in proper selection, installation, and care of the plants and trees.
Environmental stewardship is promoted with the use of recycled plants, newspaper, mulch, and other suitable materials. We utilize donations for each project but have difficulty with obtaining enough suitable landscape trees and shrubs.
Habitat for Humanity has a PAL Program with a Garden Buddy assigned for the first twelve months a new home owner partners with Habitat for Humanity. Garden Buddies are Master Gardeners that act as mentors, teachers, and home landscape consultants for their assigned family. The program ensures proper maintenance of the Master Gardener designed and installed landscape through home owner and community education.
The landscaping is a foundational planting at the front beds and back yard of the home. This home includes many new plant introductions including Abelia Sunshine Daydream and Drift Roses. There are some older standards such as Variegated Liriope and a must for each landscape in Wellston Villas is the official trees of Warner Robins a Crape Myrtle. In this case we planted two Red Ruffle Crape Myrtles which are a medium size tree. We developed a small planting bed with herbs at the back for the kitchen. Please see picture
Installation of the planting beds and materials was done by three Master Gardeners with the assistance of Habitat for Humanity volunteers. Maintenance of the landscape project will be assured by Habitat for Humanity and the PAL Program Garden Buddies.
The volunteers and residents learn planting skills and landscape maintenance at the time of planting. Garden Buddies work with the residents for the first twelve months to teach them what is required in their landscape each season. Garden Buddies are Master Gardeners that act as mentors.
Submitted by Diane Stephens