By Harland Patch, Penn State Center for Pollinator Research

After years of planning and fundraising, the Pollinator and Bird Garden at the Arboretum At Penn State is finally breaking ground.

In early October the Penn State blue fencing went up around the nearly four acre construction site, and preparations for construction began. The hope is that this garden will be ready for its first visitors in fall of 2020.

The most prominent feature at the main entrance of the garden will be a central disc.

This disc will be a meadow that is tilted toward the entrance so that the back rises a few feet above the front.

There will be a forested habitat area that will include a shallow wetland pond similar to those found in Pennsylvania forests. These small forest habitats will be rich in the often overlooked spring flowering trees and shrubs and many beautiful understory plants.

They also make excellent habitat for many bird species.

At the side of the pond, in the woods, will be an open bird view pavilion specifically designed to give the best views of the woodland without disturbing the birds and other animals that will come the pond.

Between the disc and the forested zones there will be rolling berms interspersed with paths to create a series of stroll gardens through a dry meadow and a shrub-rich planted woodland edge. A densely planted wetland habitat will occupy a central position in the garden series.

This garden will be dominated by plants that are attractive to butterflies and particularly flies, which are the second most important pollinator group after the bees.

To demonstrate the importance of pollinators to agricultural production there will be a garden zone with animal pollinated fruits and vegetables, including an ornamental orchard.

Finally a series of specimen gardens will demonstrate the difference in floral architecture, scent, and visual display.

There will also be observation hives for honey bees where visitors can see the bees at work and ornate structures for many species of wood and stem nesting bees. There will also be an attempt to encourage the many species of ground nesting pollinators with open areas of densely packed sandy loam soil.

But the main feature of the garden is the plants. The current plan list totals 351 species and cultivars including both herbaceous and woody plants.

The list, as well as the overall design of the pollinators' portion of the gardens, was put together with a single "commander's intent" to attract and provide resources for all the pollinator species in this area of Centre County.

The target groups were bees, flies, butterflies, pollinating beetles, and our one pollinating vertebrate the Ruby-throated hummingbird. And the plants chosen are those that attract the most diverse and abundant groups of pollinators.

To contain all these diverse plants in what is actually a small area the plant designers from Phyto Studio have employed a community-based vertically layered plan.

In many locations there will be six layers to the planting including a structural layer, seasonally themed layers to give interest throughout the year and ground layers to reduce the need for mulching and weed control.

This clever design approach allows plants that attractive to pollinators, but are not very exciting for humans, to mixed with bright and florally abundant species loved by visitors.

Because, of course, gardens are for people and this garden is intended to be as good for pollinators as it is beautiful.

(Reprinted from the latest Penn State Master Gardeners Pollinator Garden Certification Program newsletter and the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research.)

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[Posted: November 1, 2019]

11/4/2019