buffer garden

Lake Hayward buffer garden, year two

I had fun designing and assisting with the installation of a waterside buffer garden at Lake Hayward, East Haddam, CT. In June 2014, the garden was maturing. (See the photos below.) Yarrow and Penstemon (aka Beardstongue) were in full bloom. Both plants have a lot of ecological value. Penstemon is recognized by the Xerces Society as attracting large numbers of native bees. Yarrow is both attractive to native bees and attracts predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects. 

See the Lake Hayward garden website. 

 

 

Evolution of Lakeside Buffer Garden

lake buffer garden

Waterside buffer gardens offer more than summer blooms (though they surely do offer those). They help sequester stormwater and road runoff, and keep unwanted nitrogen and road pollutants from public water bodies. Through the joint efforts of several organizations, a new buffer garden was installed at Lake Hayward, East Haddam, CT in 2013-2014.

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