Pollinator Pathway

 Our native garden is a living classroom for Wonder Kids designed to showcase the beauty and importance of Kentucky’s native plants.This space is filled with diverse species that provide food and habitat for pollinators, demonstrate traditional uses, and highlight the resilience of local ecosystems.

Children explore the garden to learn how native plants support butterflies, bees, and birds, while also discovering their cultural and practical uses. Through hands-on lessons, they see how these plants once sustained Appalachian families and how they continue to play a vital role in maintaining balance in nature.

A few of the plants you’ll find here include:

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – loved by pollinators and valued for its traditional medicinal uses.

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) – a hardy wildflower that brightens the landscape and feeds pollinators.

• Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) – a pollinator magnet with historical uses as a tea.

• Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) – essential for monarch butterflies.

• Wild Bergamot (Monarda didyma) – fragrant and rich in nectar for hummingbirds and bees.

• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) – Kentucky’s state flower, supporting late-season pollinators.

Together, these plants create a vibrant outdoor classroom where children can connect with the land, learn about sustainability, and discover the deep ties between people, plants, and pollinators.

Hope Farm & The Book Nook has a creek in front covered in native plants such as Goldenrod, Mullein, bamboo, Sycamore, Queen Ann's lace, Purple Nettle & viaretu of wildflowers. It is a butterfly and hummingbird filled space.

Cultivating Community Garden – Grayson, Kentucky

The Cultivating Community Garden, located at the Business Cultivation Foundation Headquarters at the Grayson Cabin in Carter County, Kentucky, is a small but vibrant pollinator garden dedicated to supporting native insects, birds, and local biodiversity. Designed with stewardship in mind, the garden is planted primarily with native pollinator flowers that provide nectar and habitat for bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects throughout the growing season.

The garden operates under a simple guiding principle: care for the land and the land will care for the community. No chemical pesticides or herbicides are used. Instead, the space relies on natural balance, companion planting, and pollinator-friendly practices to create a healthy ecosystem.

In addition to pollinator plants, the garden includes red currants and gooseberries, adding a small edible component that demonstrates how food production and pollinator support can coexist in the same landscape.

The garden also serves as an outdoor learning space for families and children participating in the Business Cultivation Foundation’s community education programs. Through hands-on activities, visitors learn about pollinators, native plants, and the importance of protecting local habitats.

Tucked around the garden and near the Grayson Cabin are small fairy homes representing the Fairyfolk of Carter County, a whimsical storytelling element inspired by Appalachian folklore. These tiny dwellings spark curiosity and imagination while encouraging visitors to explore the garden and appreciate the small creatures that make healthy ecosystems possible.

As part of the Pollinator Pathway movement, the Cultivating Community Garden contributes a small but meaningful link in a larger chain of habitat restoration, helping create safe spaces for pollinators across the region.

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