We are pleased that the new pollinator plant garden that HOMS has sponsored is doing so well! And right in time to give back to our pollinator friends during National Pollinator Month! It is located near the midpoint of the Pittsboro Farm and Forest Trail.
HOMS’ EcoBlend was used to clear an area of weeds and vegetation, so that the garden could be planted. In addition to ridding the area of the unwanted vegetation, EcoBlend fertilized the soil as vegetation was broken down into nutrients and organic compost to feed beneficial soil microbes.
Ingredients used in EcoBlend are sourced largely from farms located in the Southeastern United States. The main actives in EcoBlend products are vegetable oils that are food grade, organic or GMO-free and all natural. All of the nutrients in these ingredients are returned to the soil to help enrich the ecosystem.
There are several people that HOMS would like to thank for having a hand in the new garden. First of all, we would like to thank Debbie Roos for the inspiration that comes from her Pollinator Paradise Garden at Chatham Mills. For those of you who have not had the chance to visit it in person, take a virtual tour of the Pollinator Paradise Garden here. It is a veritable wonderland for the pollinators in our community! Also, Debbie has provided an extremely useful resource for all of us interested in creating pollinator gardens, a list of the Top 25 Native Pollinator Plants for North Carolina. Debbie’s list informed the selection process when it came time to plan the garden and make purchases.
This brings us to another person who was instrumental in making the pollinator garden a reality. Hillary Heckler of Country Farm and Home helped with the plant selection and planning of the garden. Yes, they stock native NC pollinator plants! Here are the pollinator plants from Country Farm and Home that Hillary helped to select: witch hazel, arrowwood, boneset, yucca, echinacea, and amelanchier. Colorful annuals that were selected include celosia, gomphrena, and blue sage. These annuals were also great choices because they vary in height and texture.
Malcolm Henry of The Plant helped prepare the soil and put in the plants. He did an awesome job and is still taking great care of them by taking the responsibility of watering. For any of you who come for a tour of The Plant, you may get to meet Malcolm who is also a great tour guide!
Please stop by and visit the garden on your next trip to The Plant! We have aptly named it Pollinator Place at the End of Lorax Lane. Access it either by walking to the end of Lorax Lane where the road meets the Farm and Forest Trail or access it by walking about halfway down the Farm and Forest Trail from the main entrance; after passing the constructed wetland it is on the left, on the other side of the trail from the compost area.
The EcoBlend compost area is another stop along the way that you may want to check out. We are applying EcoBlend Burndown product to weeds that have been removed from areas of The Plant, to aid in the process of breaking down the plants into beneficial nutrients that fertilize the soil. The compost heap that you see pictured is composed of weeds and vegetation removed from the area where we planted the pollinator garden. We will be adding the compost back to the pollinator garden, thereby recycling nature!