Above: Over the past two years, volunteers have planted and maintained two gardens that support native pollinators in Southborough. This Saturday, you can learn more details about them and what you can do at home. (photos contributed and from SOLF website)
The Open Space Preservation Commission is inviting the public to enjoy guided tours two of their gardens in town this weekend.
The gardens feature native plants that support native pollinators. Attendees can buy similar plants from a sale at the first tour.
The tours will both take place on Saturday, June 24th. OSPC Chair Freddie Gillespie will lead them and explain OSPC’s work with Dr. Robert Gegear’ who has been studying at-risk bumblebees.
The talks at each tour will have a slightly different slant.
10:00 am – 12:00 pm — Beals Preserve Public Display Pollination Preservation Garden and Plant Sale
The first tour is at the garden created through a partnership with SOLF:
Located on SOLF’s (Southborough Open Land Foundation) 58.5-acre Beals Preserve, the garden was carved out of an old agriculture field. This tour will be of value to anyone interested in the challenges and benefits of pollination preservation activities and garden installations in old meadows. Freddie will also be discussing Citizen Science opportunities.
Below are some pics of the Garden when it was being installed last July, a more recent photo from SOLF’s dedicated page, volunteers at work to get it ready for this weekend, and a sighting by Dr. Gegear at the garden just last week:
At a plant sale on-site, attendees can purchase many of the plants from Dr. Gegear’s list of plants that support At-Risk Pollinators.
To join them, park at the Main Street entrance for the preserve. (If you choose to enter from the trails on the other side of the property, be sure to check out Art on the Trails on your way.)
12:00 pm — Changing Public Perception of Native Plant Gardens
Gillespie and volunteers will move over to their garden at the Southborough Library for the second tour:
Topics include how to have a beautiful garden and preserve biodiversity, sustainable garden practices, using native plants for stormwater control, lawn alternatives, drought resistant plants, and seed collection for winter sow.
This more established garden, was planted in partnership with the Library two summers ago. (You can read about that here.)
