GUELPH – It has been 10 years since Pollination Guelph volunteers first began planting habitat for pollinating insects around Hospice Wellington.
It’s time to show off their handiwork.
Before and after – Pollination Guelph began installing pollinator gardens at Hospice Wellington in 2012 and 10 years later, the gardens are bursting with blooms and attract pollinators and other wildlife. This is the ‘before’ photo.
The organization is inviting the public to Hospice Wellington to see the gardens and learn more about pollinator gardens.
An open house is planned for Sept. 24, from 1 to 3pm at Hospice Wellington, 795 Scottsdale Drive, in Guelph. Volunteers will be on hand to provide information about how to garden for pollinators and to give tours of the plantings.
Visitors must park on Scottsdale Drive or the neighbouring streets as the Hospice parking lot will be reserved for friends and families visiting Hospice residents.
The pollinator journey started in September 2012, when sections of lawn were removed and replaced with pollinator-friendly plants that give blooms from spring through fall. The new landscaping also provides habitat for birds and other wildlife, and provide a beautiful oasis for residents, visitors, and staff of the Hospice.
The Gosling Pollinator Gardens, so named in recognition of significant financial support from The Gosling Foundation, now cover 9,000 sq. ft. around the facility. Blooms from early spring until fall provide pollen and nectar for pollinating insects like bees and butterflies, while seed heads and berries provide food for birds and small mammals. The gardens are designed to allow as many pollinators as possible to complete their life cycles on the property.
“Now that the gardens are maturing, we are able to harvest seeds and make divisions of plants, which we have used at our other Pollination Guelph sites, sold to help fundraise our activities, or donated to other pollinator gardens in the city,” officials state in a press release.
The Gosling Pollinator Gardens are a stunning example of how businesses and homeowners can make a big difference for pollinators with simple actions.
For more information, visit www.pollinationguelph.ca, or follow them on social media: @PollinationGuelph on Facebook or @PollinateGuelph on Instagram and Twitter.
