(by Willa Coroka)

On Saturday, November 9, NH Audubon’s newly organized Pocket Pollinator Garden Club met in Manchester for a final cleanup of all four Pocket Pollinator Garden sites. Bundled up against the brisk morning air, our group of eight began at Beech Street Elementary where crabgrass and litter were removed from all three garden beds, but seedheads and dried flower stalks were left behind to provide food for birds and safe spaces for solitary bees to overwinter in the middle of the Queen City. We carpooled to the Manchester City Library next, where a similar plan was executed. Between rolling up hoses and packing up our storage bench (where we house garden tools, butterfly nets, and activities to engage with the public), we observed several bumblebees collecting pollen from a few late-season blooms. While we were disappointed to see that maintenance had trimmed quite a few of the specimens we’d intended to leave for the bees, we recognized an avenue for education and signage will be delivered before the snow falls alerting visitors to the importance of leaving the leaves, dried stalks, and seedheads for wildlife.

A quick stop at Bakersville Elementary, installed just last month, revealed strong plants rooting well under their bed of first-year mulch. While native plants don’t require additional additives such as mulch once established, it is important to supply a layer the first year to help with both moisture retention during the grow season and insulation in case of low snow loads in the coming winter. Our final stop brought us to Mill 3 where, after adding additional mulch to an area that had experienced erosion mid-summer, we joined the owner and operator of Girls at Work, Inc., Elaine Hamel, for coffee, cake, and inspiring conversation. It was a beautiful day that left everyone feeling eager for a quick winter. We’re excited for next year’s grow season when our Manchester city gardens will be more established, loaded with blooms, and hopefully, buzzing with pollinators.