Thanks to the Ontario Horticultural Association (OHA), our Society installed a garden that has brought joy, awareness, curiosity, beauty and, of course, pollinators to the village of Portland. The garden’s location receives sun for the majority of the day. The plants chosen for this planting include: Agastache, Echinacea, Monarda, Rudbeckia, Phlox, Asclepias (Butterfly Weed), Spirea, Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), Asters, Liatris and Joe Pye. This selection would offers a variety of colour and taste to appeal to pollinators, as well as provide a source of food throughout the seasons. We also decided to plant a couple of grasses to provide nesting material for birds, and to install two different versions of solitary bee homes. Once the grant was awarded, MJ Leblanc, Bob LeBlanc, and Corey Evans built a large raised bed and filled it with triple mix from a local supplier. Soil and mulch are not included as eligible grant expenses so the Society took on these costs.

The benefits of this garden are abundant. Conversations between local community members start at this garden. Questions about pollinators, nesting homes and plant choices emerge at this garden. We are spreading awareness of the benefits of pollinator gardens, as well as encouraging others to recreate this habitat in their own backyard. Not only has it started a dialogue but it also brings pleasure to our senses. There is something so magical about watching a monarch butterfly flutter from one flower to another, or sitting still and listening to the calming hum of the bumblebee collecting pollen and nectar from the ever-blooming Agastache.

Special thank you to Rideau Valley Landscaping, Jack Mahoney, Debi Connelly, and Gemmell’s Garden Centre.