Showcasing the Pollinator Garden at Wilcox Park: Special Highlight, "In the Dirt" URI Master Gardener Program Newsletter

Showcasing the Pollinator Garden at Wilcox Park

Submitted by Brenda Woodward MG 2021 and Sandi Carmichael MG 2010

What a team of Native Plant devotees at Wilcox Park! The original Pollinator Garden was part of a grant in 2019 given by the New England Wildflower Society (now the Native Plant Trust) to establish two native plant pollinator gardens in each New England state. The Pollinator Garden is planted with straight species native plants, mostly grown from seed. Over the last few years, the garden has expanded, been enhanced and modified through the hard work of Brenda Woodward and her team. Throughout the year, the team collects a small portion of the seeds and then winter sows them in December. The seedlings sprout in the spring and are ready to plant by September. Collected seeds are also given to the Westerly Public Library for their seed exchange program.

This year, the garden was expanded through a grant from the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society. The focus of the grant was to extend the Pollinator Garden into a shady area.This year the new plants are sleeping, next year they will creep and hopefully the third year they will leap. Other work by the team includes clearing the hillside along the staircase above the Pollinator Garden of invasives and adding new plants. Native grasses flank one side and various shade loving ferns, columbine and tiarellas are on the other. Future plans for the Hillside include showcasing native shrubs, a little-known powerhouse of benefits for pollinators and birds.

Photo 1: The original Pollinator Garden

Photo 2: Installing the new shade garden - Master Gardeners Cindy Adams, Sandi Carmichael and intern Marjit Burgess

Photo 3: Working on the Hillside - Master Gardeners Sheryl Hanson, Melissa Hughes, Jenny Chaffiotte, and Jane Mara