352 Brooks St

The area I choose to create my pollinator garden is the parkway in front of my house.

My journey started with garden soil that was incredibly dry and compacted, which made it hard for anything to grow there. I realized the area hadn't been properly conditioned in a long time, so I got to work amending it with compost, tilling the soil and adding a good layer of mulch to help retain moisture. It took awhile of consistent watering and effort, but the soil finally started to come back to life.

One of the most fun parts of the project was picking out which flowers to plant once the soil was ready. I spent hours going through garden centers, trying to decide between wildflowers, pollinator favorites, and blooms that could handle a bit of heat. I ended up with a mix of coneflowers, salvia, sea thrift, and a few surprise finds that just felt right in the moment. I also made sure all choices were native to Massachusetts.

Now that everything is planted and growing, it's so rewarding to see bees buzzing around and pops of color all in a once neglected area — especially knowing how much work went into preparing the space