Northern Woodlands Magazine Pollinator Garden

By Nancy Farwell

Before (left): Lawn dominated the front of our headquarters. After (right): The Lawn has been replaced by hundreds of pollinator plants grown primarily from seed.

The first phase of our pollinator garden installation involved removing sod and laying gravel paths. Because the garden is an educational space and open to the public, safe access was a concern and focus. The decision to construct smooth, gravel pathways drove the installation process which involved hiring a contractor to remove unwanted shrubs and sod and build the paths. We did not amend the topsoil. Once the plants were installed, 34” of wood chips were spread to suppress weeds, hold moisture and give the garden beds a tidy appearance while the plants grew.

The garden was designed by me – I have a degree in landscape architecture. As part of an ecological landscape design class, the students were challenged to design a native plant garden. I presented the idea of taking up the whole lawn to my former director who loved the idea and the project took off from there.

The garden was installed and planted in summer 2024. I did most of the planting with help from Northern Woodlands staff, my daughters, kids of other staff members, and a volunteer or two. Plant selection was based on having a long bloom period from early spring to late autumn. I wanted lots of color, varying heights, textures, and plant shapes. I incorporated big swathes of the same plants throughout the garden, and it now includes about 50 different species. Most of the plants were started from seed and that turned out to be a fun, successful, and very cost-effective process. The seeds were started in March and April for July planting.

Some of our favorite plants: Spotted bee balm - I love the unique stacked flower stalk and how the bracts change from green to white to pink. Very lovely overall. Upland white goldenrod - a nice low, mounding plant with small daisy-like white flowers. I highly recommend it. Rattlesnake master - Besides having a great name, this interesting species looks like narrow-leaved yucca with tall branching flower stems and spiky, round, dull green/white flower pods. Beardtongues - I planted the hairy and foxglove beardtongues. They started blooming in late May and produced flowers for at least a month. The tubular blossoms, white on foxglove and lavender on hairy, attract bees who wiggle their way in where you can’t see them, but you can hear them!

Given that the garden is very prominent and visible to the public, we wanted to show intention with “Cues to Care.” Well-defined, gravel pathways are edged with 4-5” stones and wood chips in the planting beds create a tidy appearance. A few stepping stones in some larger beds indicate where one can walk to reach the inner portion of the bed. The transition back to lawn is a defined edge. There are large sweeps of the same species indicating intentional planting as do labels naming each plant species. Benches (photo left, below) were placed around the garden to invite one to stop and watch for pollinators and appreciate the beauty of the space. The garden has minimal weeds, and the path is kept clear of debris, demonstrating to our neighbors and community that the garden is a proud achievement and we intend for it to be beautiful in all seasons.

We have attracted so many interesting pollinators including hummingbird pairs and monarch butterflies. The hummingbirds were battling over the cardinal flower. Monarch butterflies were numerous and a neighbor reported it was the first summer she’d seen a monarch since moving in 10 years ago! We had a visiting tree frog, a crab spider defending its prey from interested flies, and an enormous fly that looked like a wasp. It has been so rewarding to see such variety and quantity in the pollinators attracted to the garden, as well as the positive reactions of passersby. All this beauty and activity and no lawn to mow anymore!

Nancy Farwell is the Circulation and Ad Sales Coordinator for Northern Woodlands Magazine. Nancy’s background in design, library science, and education lends well to her role as advertising ace, information curator, and community outreach champion. Nancy is an avid knitter and side gig crafter who enjoys downtime outdoors to walk, hike, or XC ski.

Photo credits: Northern Woodlands magazine staff.