LLCT had a busy spring and early summer! In late May, LLCT distributed more than 2,000 pollinator-friendly shrubs and perennials to our membership. All the plants were pre-ordered from Bigelow’s Nursery and Bagley Pond Perennials. More than 150 households participated in the sale and have either started a new pollinator space or enhanced an existing pollinator space in their garden. As part of this endeavor, LLCT also collaborated with the Water Commission and The Great American Rain Barrel Company to offer wholesale rain barrels to the community. Nearly 50 rain barrels were purchased and distributed alongside the plants.
LLCT Staff, Interns, Trustees, and Volunteers helped make it a smooth weekend, unloading the 2,000+ plants, organizing orders, labelling plants, and helping prepare and run the Saturday morning pick up. Additional thanks to Lincoln’s DPW who allowed us to use the space behind their garage to store plants and run the pick up line.
Furthering the Lincoln Pollinator Action Plan, LLCT ordered an additional 700+ plants to add to existing pollinator plantings in Town and to create two new pollinator spaces. At the old “Johnny’s Fudge” location at the Stony Brook/Harrington Parking Lot (along Rte 117), a new pollinator garden was installed on May 25th. LLCT interns had already set up and filled rain barrels on site. Volunteers gathered in the early morning to help plant. In the afternoon, LLCT finished laying down cardboard and mulch to keep the weeds at bay. Throughout the summer, volunteers have signed up to help water and weed to keep this site looking great and help the plants get established! A thank you to the City of Cambridge for their permission to do this planting work.
It was a long hot week but worth the effort to see these plants installed in their new homes! On May 26th, LLCT planted the Codman Island (located at the intersection of Codman Road and Rte 126). The Roadside Traffic and Safety Committee had given permission for this project and LLCT hopes that it serves as a great model for other similar sites in Lincoln. Volunteers joined LLCT during the morning for planting, and in the afternoon the site was mulched and given another thorough watering. LLCT is so grateful for these volunteers and their ongoing commitment to helping maintain the sites.
On June 1st, LSHRS Seniors joined LLCT at the People for Pollinators Meadow to help plant nearly 60 shrubs. Two groups of 10 students did an amazing job planting and watering, and we’re so grateful for the Senior Service Day which facilitates opportunities like this one. Among the shrubs that were planted are lowbush blueberry, bush honeysuckle, virginia rose and swamp rose, meadowsweet and steeplebush. Three bur oaks were also planted in the area. Additionally, a kind Lincolnite donated an additional six sea oat plants, which were installed near the honeysuckle.
In mid-June, LLCT Staff and Interns added some mulch around these plantings to help keep weeds down and improve moisture retention during the heat of summer.
LLCT finished off spring planting by adding additional shrubs and perennials to the garden plot at Lincoln Station which was initially planted last Spring with the 2020 Plant Kits. This year, LLCT added several evergreen shrubs, additional roses and bush honeysuckle plants, and a lot of great perennials. Iemmello landscaping was a great help and removed the sod from between the existing plantings to make room for new plants. Their landscaping crew also helped dig and plant many of the shrubs!
