Pollinator Gardens

Pollinator Gardens in Hopkinton: a crucial habitat - learn, help, make your own!

The purpose of this project is to educate the community about the crucial need for pollinator gardens and encourage more of them to be added at homes and other facilities in town. Given that, helping with these public gardens is an important way to learn and we invite anyone who can to participate, even if just for an hour. Whether or not you can help, do visit the gardens and this page to learn more about their need and how you can make your own. Then do just that - make your own. Start with just one or two plants if a garden sounds overwhelming. Later in this page are tips to get you going.

July to October - Volunteers are watering through mid October.

• Hughes Farm signup sheet - located at 192 Hayden Rowe.

• Pratt field signup sheet - located on Fruit St. (between 108 and 126, next to the pond).

Instructions for watering

When to water
It's best to water in the morning or night if you can because during the daytime, the sun and heat evaporate part of what you add, so some water is wasted and doesn't go to the plants. Water on the day you signed up for, but if it rained (more than a sprinkling) the day before or is raining on your day, you don't need to water. If you aren't sure if watering is needed, contact us and we'll let you know.

At Hughes Farm - 192 Hayden Rowe St.

See When to Water, above. There is a spigot located in the parking area, and near it, a hose that is covered up under a "tarp". The hose is attached to the spigot. Remove the tarp, unroll the hose, and take the spray nozzle end to the garden area - it should stretch to the needed length when the water is running. Try not to have it cutting across the parking lot or someone might drive over it. Using a lighter setting (not jet), water each plant near the base/ground and water deeply so the roots become fully soaked - stop when water pools around the plant. After watering all the plants, turn off the spigot, roll up the hose, and cover the hose with the tarp and rock. If you have question or concerns or suggestions, contact us.

At Pratt Field - between 108 and 126 Fruit St.
See When to Water, above. Refer to the following picture. Unlatch the gates so you can enter the gardens to get close to the plants. There are containers (bins and buckets) surrounding the garden that are filled with pond water and covered with lids. Inside containers nearest the gates are empty gallon jugs to use for watering. Remove the lid from a container. Fill a jug with the water from a container. Use the jug to water each plant at the base/near the ground, repeating the fill process as needed - most plants will need 1 gallon (the size of the jug), with the big bush needing 5 gallons. After watering all plants, LATCH BOTH GATES CLOSED, put the jugs into the containers nearest the gate, and put the lids back onto all containers - don't close them, just set them on top and put the rock back so the empty buckets won't blow away. Don't move the buckets, or if you do, please put them back where you got them from. You won't need all of the water - just use what you need. You don't need to refill the buckets. If there isn't enough water in the containers, or you have questions or concerns or suggestions, contact us.

Pollinator plants at Hughes Farm provide pollen for endangered native bee species from June to October and provide nectar from May to August. At Pratt field, the plants provide pollen for endangered native bee species from July to September and nectar from July to September.

In addition, the Virginia Strawberry at Pratt Field provides an example of a low to the ground native plant to replace protions of your lawn.

Pollinator gardens attract bees, birds and other insects and animals that help pollinate plants. Without them, we would not have much of the food crops we eat. Sadly, development of natural landscapes - with lawns, roads, parking areas, and buildlings - plus the use of pesticides and the prevalence of invasive species have removed the ecological homes needed by pollinators and decimated their populations. Planting a pollinator garden is one way to help restore pollinators and the habitat they and we need to survive.

Shaurya Patni created a pollinator garden at the YMCA in Hopkinton for his Eagle Scout project in the spring of 2024 with the help of many scout volunteers. Shaurya and his family applied to add more gardens in town using Hopkinton's participatory budget. As a result, in July 2024, two additional gardens were added on public land, one at the Hughes Farm property, 192 Hayden Rowe, and a second at Pratt Fields on Fruit St. More are in the planning stages. Suhani Patni helped our committee develop the signs and materials to educate visitors about the topic and how to make gardens at home or work or on community properties.

Many thanks to all who contributed or are slated to: The Patni/Jain family, Hopkinton Scout Troops, Weston Nurseries and their design and education manager, Trevor Smith, the YMCA, the Town of Hopkinton, the Sustainable Green Committee, Open Space Preservation Commission and chair Ed Harrow, the Trails Committee, Trails Club, Hopkinton Area Land Trust (HALT) and president Morrie Gasser, Hopkinton Scouts, and other volunteers.

For a couple of quickstart guides:

• Weston Nurseries rewilding with designs for native plant gardens, including the species and arrangements

• Our checklist for organic lawn and garden care

• For more about the importance of pollinators and what many local groups are doing about it, see the Bumble Bee Project and the Beecology Project

See additional resources about native plants and pollinators and what else you can do at our Lawns, Gardens, and Water page. 

Stay tuned - more info coming soon with pictures from the plantings at Hughes Farm and Pratt Field.

Here are photos of the cadre of busy bees planting the garden at the YMCA.