By Kim Hawks, Chatham News + Record Staff

If you’re looking for somewhere to go during these times of COVID-19, plan a visit to enjoy the beautiful flowers and pollinators in the Pollinator Gardens at Chatham Mills.

The garden beds, designed and maintained by Agricultural Extension Agent Debbie Roos of the Chatham County Cooperative Extension, feature native perennials and vines that attract butterflies and other pollinators.

Typically, commercial spaces plant parking lot island beds with evergreen shrubs and trees. The seasonal annuals planted in highly visible areas add color to an otherwise drab look.

By contrast, the Pollinator Garden is continualy buzzing with life and changes daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally. As you drive through the parking area, you are greeted by beautiful garden beds filled with lush summer-blooming wildflowers, perennials and vines buzzing with activity.

The first garden you see is the “pollinator garden entrance” bed. There are also “parking lot” garden beds and lovely borders of perennials planted in the open lawn and picnic area located near the entrance to Chatham Marketplace.

After your garden walk, grab groceries at the Chatham Marketplace. From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Marketplace features specialty coffees, smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, premade burritos, rotisserie chicken, salads and other goodies. There are tables and picnic areas outdoors. Every Saturday from spring to fall, the Chatham Mills Farmers’ Market operates from 8 a.m. to noon in the open lawn area.

 

Bees and butterflies gather on Coneflowers, also know as Echinacea purpurea.
Summer Coneflowers are perfectly suited as cut flowers.
The vertical spikes of Liatris spicata, also known as Blazing Star.
The Pollinator Garden entrance bed greets visitors at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro.
Garden beds are planted in islands around parking spaces at Chatham Mills.
Lovely borders are planted in the picnic area at the Pollinator Garden at Chatham Mills. Debbie Roos of the N.C. Extension Service takes care of the garden.
This Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa attracts large milkweed bugs.
Tiers of purple covers the top third of Lemon Bee Balm Monarda citriodora.
The Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea has vivid reddish orange central cones.

 

Chapelboro.com has partnered with the Chatham News + Record in order to bring more Chatham-focused stories to our audience. 

The Chatham News + Record is Chatham County’s source for local news and journalism. The Chatham News, established in 1924, and the Chatham Record, founded in 1878, have come together to better serve the Chatham community as the Chatham News + Record. Covering news, business, sports and more, the News + Record is working to strengthen community ties through compelling coverage of life in Chatham County.

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