Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of green-thumb volunteers, a previously vacant area of Look Park in Florence has been transformed into a flourishing pollinator garden. Margaret Russell of Northampton, who heads the park’s Garden Committee, first suggested the project to Executive Director Justin Pelis in 2023, and he liked the idea.
“We wanted a test plot to show the public what a pollinator garden is, its benefits, and how it can be created in a small area,” Pelis said.
Maintenance staff first spread compost over a 3,000-square-foot rectangle behind the Visitor Center and tennis courts, a space that gets full sun, and covered it with wood chips to prepare the site.
The configuration of the garden was created by Margaret’s son Whit Russell, who had recently graduated from the Conway School of Landscape Design. The variety of plant height, color and flower shape was deliberate in order to provide food and a haven for bees, butterflies and caterpillars.
Development began in the spring of 2024 with the purchase of small plants and plugs from Wing and a Prayer Nursery in Cummington, which also donated plants. Heidi Dollard, a volunteer with the Mass Pollinator Network, and other individuals also contributed plants. An anonymous donor supplied a shed to store garden tools.
When heavy rains flooded the area with runoff from nearby Route 9, all the original plantings were washed away. So Whit designed a bioswale, a channeled depression excavated by Look Park staff to contain future runoff. Last year a meadow area was added, and the garden has expanded to some 5,500 square feet with nearly a hundred species of native perennials and grasses that bloom throughout the growing season.
The goal, Margaret said, has been “to tackle the drastic nationwide decline in bees and other insects, which has contributed to the significant decline in birds and small mammals. Pollinators are at the bottom of the food chain, and they depend on native plants to survive. Birds depend on the insects and caterpillars in the garden to feed their young.”
Florence resident Melissa Curtin, who facilitates the project with Margaret and heads the Garden Committee’s outreach programs, said, “Insects are basically one of the foundations of the environment, and caterpillars are incredibly important to birds.” With a degree in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Massachusetts and meadowscaping experience, she has created a more naturalized area toward the rear of the pollinator garden, funded by the Hampden/Hampshire Conservation District.
Esther Bartels, another volunteer from Florence, said, “I walk my dog Bodie through Look Park every day, so this is a perfect way to give back.”
While weeding is considered a chore by many people, Esther said, “It gives me tremendous satisfaction. Once you get going, you can’t leave it. You see another weed, then another. One day as I was leaving in my car, I spotted a patch of dandelions. They were huge. I couldn’t stand it, so I stopped, took out my shovel and bucket, and dug them out.”
Bees, butterflies and other insects now visit the blooms, while caterpillars forage on the leaves as part of their life cycle. Director Pelis said the plot has become more than just a garden. It is now a thriving habitat for a diverse range of pollinators and part of a larger plan.
“One of my primary goals is to continually elevate the quality and beauty of the park’s gardens and landscape. Looking ahead, I envision Look Park evolving into an accredited arboretum that not only showcases exceptional trees, shrubs and gardens, but also serves as a destination for education.”
He calls the contributions of volunteers “incredibly important” to the appearance of the park. Anyone interested in joining the Garden Committee may email the office at info@lookpark.org.
Ed Orzechowski is a writer who lives in Florence.