Native Perennials and Pollinator Gardens at Second Street Basin
In an effort to expand the use of native plants and attract beneficial pollinators, the Forestry Section installed native plants in the Second Street Basin waterfall and also installed four new Pollinator Gardens late this spring. Areas of turf were removed last year and prepared for conversion to the gardens. A majority of the perennial native plants installed this year will not bloom until next year, however, the gardens are already showing signs of life and providing habitat for Monarchs. Multiple Monarch larvae were found on milkweed plants (the larval host plant) within the gardens and the waterfall planting beds this summer. This early success is an encouraging sign of what we can expect from these plantings in the future. Special thanks to the Forestry Section and Engineering staff who coordinated to complete these projects.
