Hyannis — Main Street sidewalks in downtown Hyannis are lined with small meadows of cool greens, bright reds and yellows, muted shades of brown, soft pinks and purples, all teeming with bees and butterflies. increase.
This spring, the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District will open a West End roundabout from Yarmouth Road near Cape Cod Hospital as part of the Cape Cod Pollinator Pathway initiative.
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The project was led by Elizabeth Warfbain, director of the Hyannis Business Improvement District, and Mary Myrick, who handles social media for the district.
Wurfbain said the goal is “to create greener ways to beautify urban environments.”
But it’s not just about planting beautiful flowers.
“It all comes down to birds and bees,” Wurfbain said, noting how they, along with native pollinating plants, maintain and improve the overall environment.
The project was funded by the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District with funds paid by owners of properties along Main Street who pay quarterly fees to the district, Wurfbain said.
Planters and gardens built along the main street
The entire project, including 140 planters, several gardens along the pathway, and maintenance, costs about $15,000.
The idea was born last year at the annual Hydrangea Festival in Orléans.
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Wurfbain and Myrick visited the garden of Gary Bowden, an active member of the Orleans Improvement Association, Cape Cod Master Gardeners and Nauset Garden Club.
Boden said the two women attended a talk he gave about pollinator pathways and the importance of integrating native pollinating plants into their native environment.
“It’s the cycle of life. You need plants that insects and birds eat and insects that pollinate the plants,” he said. “It’s a natural way to preserve the environment.”
In addition, the native plants used in the Pollinator Pathways project require little water or fertilizer and flower at different times of spring and summer, extending their plant life throughout the season.
welcome monarch butterfly
Another benefit is that monarch butterfly populations have been reported nationwide to be in a dramatic decline.
One of the native plants used in the pollination pathway project is common milkweed, the main food source for monarch butterflies.
“So we’re reviving monarch butterflies,” Borden said.
Wurfbain and Myrick were so impressed with Bowden’s presentation that they wanted to replicate his efforts on Hyannis.
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They describe themselves as “garden geeks”, host a weekly radio show on WXTK Radio called “Garden Line”, and service CL Fornari, who has written eight books on gardening. adopted.
Fornari, also known as the “Garden Lady of Cape Cod,” advised Wolfbane and Myrick on using native plants that “support the area’s natural wildlife” and “look good before and after flowering.” .
Hyannis Main Street chose 10 plants to use in their Pollinator Pathways containers. Common names include blue star, butterfly weed, mountain mint, thread-leaf ironweed (also known as iron butterfly), purple cone flowers, switchgrass, goldilocks rocks, sweet potato vine, and two types of zinnias.
So, the Hyannis Boulevard Business Improvement District purchased plants from Country Gardens and started working.
Pollination pathways have been added throughout the Cape
Planting began at the end of May, and the plants had peaked by mid-July, just in time for the Hyannis Festival, Wurfbain said, allowing Hyannis to take many garden tours.
With many master gardeners on board, word quickly spread of creating more pollination paths.
Boden said five Cape Cod towns — Orleans, Chatham, Harwich, Brewster and Dennis — launched pollination pathway initiatives last year.
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“We currently have organizations in Bourne, Hyannis, Barnstable, West Dennis, Wellfleet and Sandwich,” he said. “I have just arrived at Wellfleet from Bourne.”
Additionally, anyone interested can start a pollinator garden in their garden and register on the organization’s website.
“We are trying to get the public to rate this and register it on our website. We started with less than 10 and now have over 100 gardens registered.” ‘ said Boden.
This created a real pollination path across Cape Cod.
Wurfbain and Myrick are very happy with the results at Hyannis, and so is the community.
Public feedback is positive
Marty Brummell, president and CEO of the Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, said he’s received a lot of feedback from tourists about what Main Street looks like and how the plants have enhanced everything. rice field.
“It’s great to see people care about the community,” he said.
“People see us working on our planters and say something nice about them. “Every time we’re out on the street, people tell us something: ‘The flowers are so pretty. They look so nice. Great job.'”
And when it buzzes through plants or crawls in the dirt, it serves an even greater purpose.
For more information, please contact pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com.
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