Grant Update

Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens Pollinator Garden Project

This spring, the Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens took on a new project aimed at creating a more welcoming space not only for visitors, but also for pollinators. Following the installation of a concrete pad and sidewalk to improve wheelchair access, the strip of land between the walkway and the garden fence was identified as the ideal site for a new pollinator garden.

With support from the Illinois Native Plant Society, Central Chapter, and the dedicated efforts of community volunteers, the idea quickly moved from vision to reality. Preparations began with mulching the area using cardboard and wood chips and the construction of a trellis at the brick walkway entrance. A small pollinator patch already existed near the trellis, but the broader goal was to replace the remaining turf with a variety of native plants.

In April, native plants purchased from 3B Natives with INPS grant funds were installed. Volunteers planted the majority of them in the spring, with the remainder added in June once trellis construction was completed. Newspaper mulch topped with wood chips helped establish the new beds, and steel ID markers were placed to identify the species in the garden.

Challenges: Like many garden projects, this one faced obstacles. Persistent bindweed proved difficult to control, even through layers of mulch, and passionflower vines required ongoing management. Delays in trellis construction also pushed part of the planting schedule into early summer. Nevertheless, most of the plantings survived—and many successfully flowered in their first season.

Highlights: By late summer, more than 250 new pollinator plants had been added to the site. Monarch caterpillars were observed making use of the habitat, and abundant rainfall minimized the need for supplemental watering until August. The new plantings are expected to grow stronger in the coming year, providing even greater competition against weeds and expanding pollinator resources in the neighborhood.

The Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens extend their gratitude to the Illinois Native Plant Society, Central Chapter, and to all the volunteers who made this project possible. Together, their efforts have expanded local pollinator habitat and strengthened the role of the gardens as a vibrant community resource. Visitors are encouraged to stop by and see the new additions or follow project updates on the Enos Park Garden Facebook page.

This project was supported by the Central Chapter Grant Program, which provides up to $1,000 to support efforts that promote the conservation of Illinois native plants and natural communities. If you or someone you know has a project idea, now is the perfect time to apply—details are available here: 🔗 Central Chapter Grant Info