Patriots Park Pollinator Garden Redesign
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by Rohit Sareen
Back in 2021, TEAC received permission from the Village to build a pollinator garden in Patriots Park. It was only our second pollinator garden in Tarrytown (the pilot garden was at Warner Library, thanks to much support from the community via a crowdfunding campaign), so we were excited to fill it with many of our favorite plants. In landscape design, there is a concept called “right plant, right place.” Well, a few years later, we realized that some of those native plants were not the best fit for this location.
Plants such as New England aster and common milkweed, while extremely beneficial to pollinators, were not ideal choices for a highly visible public garden. They grew too tall and were too aggressive for the space. We needed plants that were more compact and better suited to the garden.
Over the past few weeks, a group of hardworking volunteers removed the taller, spreading perennials and replaced them with shorter, mostly native, pollinator-friendly plants. We included species such as yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and threadleaf tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata), both of which grow to about a foot and a half tall. We also added a cultivar of goldenrod (Solidago ‘Golden Fleece’). While "goldenrod" often brings to mind a large, sprawling plant, ‘Golden Fleece’ is a more compact selection that makes an excellent garden plant. We planted catmint (Nepeta ‘Jr Walker’), a plant that flowers from early summer into fall and provides a valuable food source for bees. We also included pollinator favorites such as blazing star (Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’), using cultivars that remain compact and do not require staking or other support. And many other beautiful flowers. If you get a chance, do go visit right now—it looks gorgeous.
Native gardens don't have to look messy, but they do require some planning. By selecting more compact species and cultivars and providing occasional maintenance, you can create a native garden that is orderly, attractive, and offers tremendous ecological value. In other words, we can have the best of both worlds: a beautiful garden where bees, moths, butterflies, and other pollinators can find the pollen and nectar they need. Long live the pollinators!
