THE POLLINATOR GARDEN

We wanted this garden to feel like a walk through a dreamt version of nature, with plants growing harmonically together and providing rich habitat and refuge for wildlife. To attract a diverse range of pollinators, we used an array of flower shapes, from the wide, landing-pad-like umbels of yarrow to delicate, fluted penstemons, along with native salvias and goldenrods, verbena, mullein, and grasses to provide habitat. Within a half hour of planting this garden, we had monarchs, swallowtails, bees, and hummingbirds all enjoying the blooms. Now, almost two years later, it’s grown into itself. June is its prime season, when many of the flowers are at their vibrant peak, but the garden softens and fades gracefully into fall, the flower stalks ossifying into sculptural minarets that hold their form through the winter and provide seed and nesting materials for birds.