April 21, 2021
by Hope Corenzwit
Whatever else it was, the year 2020 was a year of discovery. In that year of pandemic, I canceled my annual Spring Plant Sale to stay safe. I watched a lot of TV, including Youtube videos for home gardening tips. Empty market shelves motivated me to get back to growing more of my food. I found the new ideas for growing food I expected to find. However, I also discovered new ways to think about growing food, restoring the environment, and I learned about the astonishing complexity of life both above and below ground. The complexity and elegance of the natural world boggles my mind.
From kitchen gardens, I went on to learn about Permaculture and that there are intricate networks of life everywhere in the natural world. I learned that current development and home gardening practices are contributing to the loss of beneficial pollinators and other animals in the chain of life that produces our food, and that there is a simple remedy to which anyone can contribute wherever they live.
I learned about the Pollinator Pathway in a WVLT newsletter while expanding my understanding of the natural world. I decided to take advantage of their offer of a site analysis and get a personalized pollinator planting guide for a donation. I discovered how simple it could be to restore habitat for pollinators. All it takes is for people to grow plants that attract pollinators, creating stepping stones for them to move from one area to another. I realized I could contribute to this effort by offering more native plants that pollinators love at my plant sale. I am also adding plants that grow food for us, too, by including pollinator favorites, elderberry and hazelnut shrubs which host 37 and 140 species of butterflies and moth caterpillars, respectively.
My veggie seedling and perennial plant sale starts Friday, April 30th, and goes to Saturday, June 5th.
Wednesday to Saturday, 9-5.
For a list of plants that will be for sale, email me at hope.c.ny@gmail.com, subject line “Plant List”
Curbside pickup available.
11 Merrihew Avenue
Tillson
Watch the founder of the Pollinator Pathway program, Sarah Bergmann, speak in this TEDx talk.