Women’s Club of Milton cultivates pollinator preserve
A flurry of activity has recently taken in the garden of the Milton Historical Society at 214 Union St. To attract bees, birds and butterflies, a Pollinator Preserve has been cultivated, and all the flower beds in the front and side yards have been completely cleaned out and replanted.
The Pollinator Preserve is a project of the Women's Club of Milton Conservation Committee. The committee has partnered with the Milton Historical Society, Milton Community Foundation, Milton Garden Club, Dogfish Head Brewery, Lavender Fields of Warrington Manor, Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, Pepper's Greenhouses, Sandy Hill Nursery, Town of Milton Council and Public Works, and many Milton volunteers to create this garden.
"It was a much more involved process than I originally anticipated," said Kathryn Greig, project chair. "We never could have completed it without all the organizations giving time, advice or money. The Milton Community Foundation got us started with a donation; then the garden club and employees of Dogfish were instrumental in the cleanup and the planting. I emailed the Milton Town Council and the town manager telling them about the project, and three council members came to help. The town also donated the time of several of the public works employees. Lavender Fields donated plants, and suggestions for appropriate plants were given by Jason Davies of DNREC, Alyssa Pepper of Pepper's Greenhouses and Maria Folke of Sandy Hill Nursery."
Maureen Blasic, Conservation Committee chair, is working with Rep. Steve Smyk, R-Milton, and Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, to secure some funding for irrigation and plant identification tags to indicate which creatures pollinate each plant. Volunteers are watering the garden by hand until the plants get established.
Plans are underway for a reception to introduce the garden to the public at 1 p.m., Sunday, June 30, and educational talks are being developed for the future.
The Women's Club of Milton is a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, the largest and oldest nondenominational, nonpartisan, international volunteer service organization in the world.
