What are the main goals for this project?
The primary goals of the project were to establish an approximately 250 square-foot native pollinator garden at Risdon Park and to engage and educate park users about native pollinator habitat.
Project Overview & Timeline
In March 2025, cardboard sheet mulching was applied to the project site to naturally kill the lawn and prepare the site for planting in the spring. In early June, volunteers installed a gravel perimeter to prevent damage to the garden by lawn maintenance equipment. On June 14-15, 45 of the total 50 plants as well as the no-mow grass seed were installed and wood chips were added to the area to reduce noxious weeds and improve water retention in the soil. Additionally, a perimeter fence consisting of 3 ft. chicken wire was installed to prevent herbivory. On July 25, the remaining 5 plants were made available by Feral Flora and were installed the same day. Weekly to bi-weekly manual weeding and watering has taken place on an as-needed basis.
What were the successes and challenges in this project?
So far, the garden has attracted numerous visitors. During maintenance visits, many have stopped by to praise the effort and ask questions about the specific plants. One unforeseen challenge took place when the City delivered what was thought to be compost to the site, to be used as part of the sheet mulching. Upon spreading what was delivered, volunteers quickly realized that the material was in fact spoiled dirt from an unrelated project. This led to an uncontrollable number of noxious weeds sprouting in the early spring. To rectify this issue, volunteers scraped the top layer of dirt and placed a tarp over a majority of the area to solarize and kill the remaining seed bed. While this did not fully remove all noxious weeds, it has helped to make the site more manageable.
Plans for future maintenance & use
Manual weeding and watering will continue as needed through fall of 2025. During spring of 2026, once the no-mow lawn keyhole area within the project site has properly established, the perimeter fence will be removed, and individual protection will be provided to any plants experiencing herbivory. Engagement tools and activities are being planned which currently include a tree stump tic-tac-toe board with bee and ladybug painted rocks (see picture below), and an additional educational sign describing the roles and benefits of pollinators (as included in the project proposal). The City’s Department of Parks & Recreation also plans to add Risdon Park to the list of parks visited by summer campers during summer 2026.
Cardboard sheet mulching at the garden. This helps keep weeds out of the garden.
The tree stump tic tac toe board at Risdon Park in Saline, MI
