A Perfect Place for Pollinators ... and People

Volunteer gardeners at the Pollinator Garden; The Park at Flat Rock

The original version of the headline for this article was:

The Bees-ness of Perfecting a Pollinator Garden

But the dazzling beauty of the garden, and the endless hours invested by many volunteer gardeners, deserve more than a hackneyed pun. The entire enterprise of planning, planting, and cultivating such a magical place is too impressive to sully with a silly turn of words.

The Pollinator Garden of The Park at Flat Rock, and the dedicated people who care for it, are a Flat Rock treasure.

On any given Monday morning, you are likely to find Wendy Beville and Gina Moffitt happily digging in the dirt, pulling out uninvited weeds, and gently pruning a riot of colorful plants which populate the garden. Wendy and Gina are the Master Gardener Group Co-Chairs for the Pollinator Garden at The Park at Flat Rock. To put it another way - and much more succinctly - they and their compatriots work hard and the results are spectacular.

Wendy Beville (L) and Gina Moffit, Co-Chairs for the Pollinator Garden.

Wendy and Gina are ably assisted by approximately a dozen volunteers. Some, but not all, of the volunteers are master gardeners. All the volunteers, however, share a passion for plants and a desire to share the natural beauty of the garden with visitors to The Park. Weather permitting, the volunteers work in the garden on Monday mornings from April through October. The garden is approximately 3900 square feet and Gina estimates there are over 100 varieties of plants in the garden this year.

The Pollinator Garden got its start with the inception of The Park at Flat Rock. Local naturalist, Fred Roane collaborated with Ed Lastien who was the landscaper architect for The Park to bring to fruition his vision of a pollinator garden. Fred selected one of the old golf course’s tee boxes as a raised and level spot for the garden and worked with the plant committee to get the project off the ground. Serving on the plant committee with Fred at that time was Wendy Beville.

When Fred stepped away from the project in the early days, the first inclination of the committee was to mow over the nascent garden because there would no longer be anyone to oversee the effort. Wendy, however, had a different vision. “Everybody wanted just to mow down everything that we worked for,” recalls Wendy. “I said, ‘No!’ I think they were afraid of it not being supported properly with volunteers and it would fail.”

Gina then adds with a laugh, “They didn’t know Wendy!”

Wendy began working with Steve Jamerson who was overseeing the construction of The Park and together they developed a plan to save the garden. The project officially became the Pollinator Garden in 2015 and the Village established it as a line item in the budget.

In 2017, Wendy decided to work towards certification as a Master Gardener - both for her benefit and as a way of promoting the garden. “I decided to get the certification in hopes that the extension office would provide some support with volunteers. And sure enough, they designated it as a garden supported by the program.” The Henderson County Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners program, overseen by Steve Pettis, agreed to designate The Park’s garden as a place where master gardeners could earn their required 40 hours of annual gardening time to retain their status.

It was also during this certification process that Wendy and Gina met. Gina had recently moved to Henderson County from Alabama and, although she was designated a Master Gardener in that state, she needed to re-certify to be recognized in North Carolina. They soon joined forces and agreed to become Co-chairs for the garden.

In addition to enjoying working outdoors and seeing the results of that hard work, both Gina and Wendy love the interaction they have with visitors to the garden. “We always have parents in here taking photos with their children,” says Gina. For her part, Wendy has been pleasantly surprised at the effect the garden has on visitors. “I never realized what impact this garden would have on people. Everybody that walks by says, ‘Thank you for what you do. We love this. We appreciate it so much!’”

Georgia Bonesteel, a stalwart garden volunteer and a generous patron of the garden, thinks there is another reason visitors are so grateful for the fruits (and flowers) of their labors. “I think they love that someone else is taking care of the garden!”

The garden is unique to the area for the sheer volume of plants and the fact that it is in full sun - not always an option for residents of a tree-covered Henderson County. “Most people don’t have full sun. So the garden is just wonderful for them to see,” says Gina.

The volunteers are committed to keeping the garden as populated with native species of plants as possible. “Native plants help the native pollinators and we're learning more and more about that every year,” says Wendy. The garden is also an important part of a symbiotic relationship with the nearby park beehives maintained by The Park’s beekeeper, Will Garvey.

What is the biggest challenge for maintaining the garden? Georgia Bonesteel is quick to respond. “Weeding!” Wendy acknowledges, however, that the garden is actually quite hardy. “It survives our neglect. We are only here once a week. We help the plants get established and then mother nature really does the rest.”

Judging by the constant hum and swarms of insects, the garden has clearly become a must-visit destination for literally hundreds of species of bees, butterflies, and other less well-recognized insects that are critical to the life cycle of plants throughout our region. The garden also features plenty of Milkweed to support migrating Monarch Butterflies which typically make their appearance in The Park in September.

At the end of the day, it is a labor of love to maintain something that is so transient by nature. By the middle of winter, the garden will lay fallow and the ground will appear bare by comparison to its summer glory. But the volunteers never doubt the value of their work.

For Georgia, the reward is watching the garden rejuvenate each spring and summer. “I think part of the fun is seeing things mature and grow. When we come here in the wintertime, it's flat, there's nothing here. And then all of a sudden this plot of land erupts.”

For Wendy, the worth of the garden is almost spiritual. “It's just the beauty of the flowers, the serenity, and the peacefulness. It's medicine for the soul.”

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For anyone interested in supporting the garden, there are two primary ways to help. First, the gardeners are always happy to welcome more volunteers to the project. It is not a requirement that you be a master gardener and you can volunteer by contacting Wendy through the Park Office, connecting via the Cooperative Extension Office, or simply stopping by on Monday mornings to introduce yourself.

The garden is also eligible for direct donations via the Village of Flat Rock by designating your contribution for the Pollinator Garden.

Garden Images …