Making the pollinator garden
We were initially inspired to make a pollinator garden after several of us attended a presentation by Dr. Robert Gegear sponsored by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, as part of their plan to create a pollinator pathway across Lincoln. We worked with Newton Conservators to sponsor a webinar with Dr. Gegear in Newton in 2021. Friends President Alan Nogee also participated in a city-wide pollinator working group and launched a Newton Community Pollinator Project Facebook page to help build support for pollinator-friendly gardens and policies in Newton.
As the mayor had designated creating green infrastructure as an eligible use of covid relief funds, we submitted a proposal to the city for pollinator meadows in the park. While the city did not fund the project, they provided very important support for doing a demonstration garden in the park.
The highly visible site at the front of the park was suggested by PRC Director of Open Space Luis Perez Demorizi. Eagle Scout candidate Dobi Wollaber did initial plant selection (using the plant list by Dr. Robert Gegear) and design (starting from plans published by Evan Abramson, of Landscape Interactions) over the summer, with feedback and modifications from Alan, Luis, Katherine Howard, PRC Commissioner Mark Feldhusen, and Freddie Gillespie, who has created and helped advise several such gardens as Director of the Southborough Open Space Commission.
Luis and Alan marked the boundaries of the site. PRC maintenance staff, supervised by Maintenance Director Derek Mannion, then cleared the site of the existing sod. PRC Director of Urban Forestry Marc Welch parked a water trailer at the top of the knoll to use on planting day and to help the plants get established until the ground freezes for winter.
After a webinar tutorial by Freddie on successful planting techniques used in pollination preservation gardens she has supervised, DoBi and family, Katherine, Alan, and Deborah Anker planted numbered flags where each plant in the garden design would go, corresponding to numbers on popsicle sticks inserted in each of the plants. This technique facilitates a group of volunteers planting each plant in the correct place.
Planting was largely conducted by Dobi and his family and Scout Troop 209 of Waban, along with Alan, Katherine, Mark and Jon Goldberg. After watering the new plants, the garden was mulched with organic leaf litter between 1 1/2″-3″ deep, and enclosed in a rabbit fence. Dobi and Friends of Cold Spring Park volunteers water the garden to keep the soil moist until the ground freezes. We will likely have to water for a year or two before the plants are fully established. When the plants are mature, we may be able to remove the rabbit fence.
The garden budget was $5,000. Friends of Cold Spring Park was responsible for $2,000 from existing funds. Green Newton gave a $1,000 grant. The Newton Conservators gave a $1,000 grant, contingent on the funds being needed. DoBi Wallober aims to raise $1,000 through GoFundMe for the Friends of Cold Spring Park. We will publish expenditures when finalized.