Hi everyone, I am Zoe. I am the new Garden Intern at Upham Woods! I have previously worked for Upham and have always had an affinity towards the garden and the natural areas that Upham Woods has and has watched over. In Wisconsin, it is crucial to have pollinators, both for the native plant species as well as for our agricultural crops. Here at Upham Woods, we wanted to help our pollinator friends by creating wildflower garden beds as well as domestic flower garden beds!

This year I have spearheaded the pollinator garden bed project, something that has not previously been done here at Upham. In turn, we as a staff have done a lot to create a new space for our pollinator friends! There were previously 12 garden beds that were used for a vegetable garden in the years prior. With the help of some friends and coworkers, the 12 beds have now been reduced to 8. The new garden beds are strong, resilient, and sturdy just like our flowers. Then we have our flowers. Our flowers were planted a little over 3 weeks ago in small cells and will soon be transplanted into the new garden beds!

 

Around this area near the Wisconsin River, we have a healthy mix of pollinators, though it is always nice to add a few to the mix. Most of the flowers that I have planted, Sunflowers, Calendula (Alpha), Double Daisies, Echinacea (Cheyenne Spirit), and Borage, will bring in some new pollinators including butterflies and hummingbirds. Then we have the plants that have previously lived in the garden beds that have kept their permanent home, such as Bergamot. Bergamot is a flower that likes to draw in pollinators with its strong mint smell, so the garden will ALWAYS smell nice. Plus all of the plants that have found their new home (or have kept theirs) have medicinal properties. The youth that will be visiting our facilities in the upcoming future, will soon learn about all of the plants, our pollinator friends, and the importance of mutualism.

We will keep you updated on the garden bed in the upcoming future! Next time we talk we might have an array of flowers and pollinators in our garden! Wish us luck!

– Your friendly gardener