Pollinator Garden
Background
In 2018, the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS; renamed Native Plant Trust in 2019) launched the Pollinate New England initiative to raise awareness of the steep decline in insects, birds, and other animals that pollinate plants and crops, and to encourage people to use native plants in their gardens to create habitat for those critical species.
The Wells Reserve and UMaine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers cooperated to successfully promote the reserve as one of 12 sites around New England to host a demonstration pollinator garden and associated education programs.
Goals
NEWFS goals for the project were to:
- Achieve tangible outcomes in the conservation and recovery of native plants.
- Build a broader and more engaged constituency for native plants.
Anticipated outcomes for the project included having homeowners convert their yards into new gardens filled with genetically diverse, pesticide-free, native plants to reinvigorate pollinator populations.
Project Period
2018 to present
Master gardener volunteers adopted the pollinator garden once it was installed and have continued to nurture it in cooperation with the Wells Reserve.
Results
A 150-square-foot pollinator garden was installed on June 27, 2018, along the reserve's entry walkway during a public workshop led by Dr. Annie White, ecological landscape designer and adjunct professor at the University of Vermont, and Mark Richardson, NEWFS botanic garden director. They were assisted by master gardener volunteers and workshop participants.
Pollinator Garden Plant List
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Mature Height | Season of Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antennaria neglecta | field pussytoes | short | spring |
| Asclepias incarnata | swamp milkweed | tall | summer |
| Asclepias tuberosa | butterfly milkweed | tall | summer |
| Chelone glabra | white turtlehead | tall | fall |
| Eutrochium maculatum | spotted Joe Pye weed | tall | summer |
| Eupatorium perfoliatum | boneset | medium | summer |
| Fragaria virginiana | wild strawberry | small | spring |
| Liatris novae-angliae | New England blazing star | medium | summer |
| Monarda fistulosa | wild bergamot | tall | summer |
| Penstemon digitalis | foxglove beardtongue | medium | spring |
| Pycnanthemum tenuifolium | narrow-leaf mountain mint | short | summer |
| Rudbeckia tribola | three-lobed coneflower | tall | summer |
| Solidago caesia | wreath goldenrod | tall | fall |
| Symphyotrichum novi-belgii | New York aster | tall | fall |
| Verbena hastata | blue vervain | tall | summer |
| Carex gynandra | nodding sedge | medium | |
| Schizachyrium scoparium | little bluestem | tall |
The project included an essential set of tools for maintaining the garden: steel rake, leaf rake, edger, square-point shovel, pruner, hand sickle, hori-hori knife, 200-foot hose, and watering wand.
An evening presentation by White and Richardson followed the garden installation.
Partners
- New England Wild Flower Society (Native Plant Trust)
- UMaine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
- Wells Reserve at Laudholm
Funding
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
- New England Wild Flower Society