St. John Lutheran Church, Linthicum Heights, Maryland

Garden Layout sketch

Planted Garden

A Native Plant and Pollinator (Butterfly) Garden Planted in Honor of Marta Maier

A group of parishioners at St. John Lutheran Church in Linthicum Heights Maryland, led by Marta’s maternal grandfather, Chris Brodie, applied for a grant to plant a native plant garden on the church grounds. The Unity Gardens organization funds efforts to plant perennials, shrubs, and trees native to Anne Arundel County to promote awareness of native plants and their benefits to wildlife. The grant was awarded and the garden was installed on September 25, 2026.

Our garden covers nearly 200 square feet along the northeast corner of the church building on Medora Rd.  The garden is bordered by the building and sidewalk. Sun tolerant plants were chosen for the east facing portion of the garen and shade loving perennials were chosen for the north facing portion. Many of the same varieties of plants were chosen as Marta’s original butterfly garden in Severna Park with the addition of shade perennials, shrubs, and trees. 

As was the case for the original garden, the host plants for monarch butterflies (milkweed), were a priority.