As the unfurling green leaves begin to brighten last year’s spent foliage and plant catalogues begin to arrive in the mail, gardeners remember why they love gardening! Spring is the time of greeting old plant friends, rejoicing in their return, and grieving those that didn’t survive our challenging winter. Time to try again, perhaps with something different. Our garden is bordered by the beloved crab apple tree, fragrant lilacs, graceful peonies and other plants the home gardener can be sure will attract pollinators at a time when food is scarce. Four valuable plants for pollinators in the spring will be highlighted here, along with planting information. Many gardeners committed to attracting and nurturing pollinators often begin with just one or two valuable plants like these.
A small spring bloomer is the airy foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia). Its Latin name” cordifolia” suggests heart-shaped leaves, and the white spikes float above green hearts with a reddish variegation. In the fall the leaves turn red and bronze. Native Americans used foamflower for a variety of ailments, including as a treatment for sore mouths in babies. Home gardeners may utilize it as a ground cover in shady, moist areas, as its runners spread quickly. It can tolerate some morning sun but is happiest in woodland gardens with dappled sun. Foamflower is pollinated by butterflies, many varieties of bees, syrphid flies and bubble bees. It is generally considered deer- resistant.
Another welcomed returning perennial is wild geranium (Geranium maculatum). Its delicate pink/lilac blossoms can appear from late April to early June. A distinctive seed pod has earned it the common nickname of crane’s bill. While it can form dense patches, it is not considered invasive and can quickly but safely fill in areas. It is not picky about soil type and can tolerate a variety of sun/shade situations. Deer resistant. Truly a good choice for the home gardener! Wild Geranium attracts many pollinators
including multiple bee species. Additionally, it is a host plant for several native moths and butterflies. Native Americans had many medical uses for this plant. It was used as an astringent for mouth sores and applied as an antiseptic to prevent infection in open wounds. Some tribes used it to treat dysentery. Pretty useful plant!
Hairy beardtongue is a much more attractive plant than its name implies. Penstemon hirsutus has dense clusters of lovely lavender flowers grown on (admittedly) hairy stems. It also has a small clump of hairs on one of the lower petals which helps to explain its name. Suitable for a range of well-drained soils it can tolerate both full sun and partial shade. In our garden it thrives in quite a bit of sun as an outer border plant. Attracting pollinators, butterflies and hummingbirds, its long- trumpet-shaped flowers accommodate some of our native bees who fit perfectly! Deer may nibble on young plants, but older ones are usually not a preferred food source. Native American tribes used beardtongue roots to alleviate tooth aches and to treat burns.
Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is a welcome addition to the spring garden. Its red and pale-yellow blossoms contrast beautifully with the lilac and pink hues that usually predominate in the spring garden. The flowers dance on wiry stems that dangle over their finely textured foliage. It tolerates a range of soil conditions from dry to moist and half sun to full shade. It can get to 36” tall so a middle row placement may be a good idea. Deer may occasionally nibble, but the plant usually quickly recovers, and branching encourages more flowers. In our garden it thrives on the outer edge, next to Penstemon hirsutis in some sun. Red Columbine is the host plant for the endangered Columbine Duskywing butterfly and is visited by bees. butterflies, and hummingbirds. Native Americans used the flowers to treat heart, bladder, and kidney conditions. Crushed seeds have a pleasant scent and were used as a love charm.
Those of us who love this garden are very thankful for the work of many adult volunteers and Andover students, who work hard on maintaining this special space. From the moment the soil was ready to work volunteers were weeding, transplanting, mulching, pruning and sowing seeds in the raised bed. Gathering seed pods to distribute to the community is ongoing. As experienced adults pass on gardening skills to interested young workers, this truly becomes an intergenerational garden. Thank you all.
