Submitted by Botany Belles & Beaus Garden Club
Baldwin, WI – The large boulder near the Baldwin Public Library was uncovered during nearby housing construction in 2013. It weighs about 10 tons and was probably brought to the Baldwin area by glaciers. It is an interesting rock that has been admired by many and now it is the centerpiece of a pollinator garden.
The Public Library partnered with the Dry-Run Go Getters 4-H Club and the Botany Belles and Beaus Garden Club to create a native plant pollinator garden around it. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, 22 4-Hers participated in digging, planting and watering an assortment of native plants and shrubs. They were assisted by parents, garden club members and Friends of the Library. As these plants mature they will provide nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies, host plants for caterpillars, insects for birds, and beauty for us to view.
Some of the plants included in the planting are: Red Osier Dogwood, New England Asters, Butterfly Weed, Columbine, Purple Coneflower, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Meadow Blazingstar, Bergamont, Penstemon, Nodding Pink Onion, Cream False Indigo, Ohio Spiderwort, and more. The variety will provide blooms from spring through fall.
Funding was provided by a St. Croix Valley Master Gardener Grant. Thank you. The St. Croix Valley Master Gardeners organization is an active group that serves residents in Pierce and St. Croix counties through community service, educational events, and provides horticultural information. Their annual plant sale which funds the grant program in on Saturday, June 1st at the Octagon House in Hudson from 9am to 1pm.
