This Saturday & next: Get 2 free pollinator plants!

October 20, 2020

Community Garden Pollinator Plant Giveaway

Exclusively for Madison residents

Saturdays, October 24 & November 1

1:00–5:00 PM

To help make Madison pollinator-friendly, the Community Garden has grown milkweed, blue lobelia, wild bergamont and 10 other types of native perennial plants. Madison residents are invited to dig up two plants for free!

Reservations and masks are required. Sign up for a time slot here, and see the Community Garden’s native plants list for some details on each variety.

Tools will be provided. Please bring your own plant container. And if you have extra plant containers you don't need, they'll gladly accepted for future pollinator plant giveaways.

“For our giveaway, we planted a 50-foot bed with seeds from our pollinator meadows,” says Stephen McAuliffe, chair of the Community Garden Advisory Committee. Joan Maccari of the Madison Environmental Commission, along with volunteers from the Rutgers Master Gardener’s Program, helped harvest the seeds. Alice Wade of the Garden Club of Madison also helped with on cultivation.

Questions? Email Us

Pollinator plants are an essential part of our ecosystem.

Moths and butterflies need specific host plants on which to lay their eggs and feed their caterpillars. Monarch butterflies, for example, will only lay their eggs on milkweed.

Shown here is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) sipping nectar from a New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) flower.

Learn more about some native plants that provide nectar and food for butterflies and moths in our area.

Why to "Leave the Leaves" on the Ground

"In the fall, it used to be you cleaned up every last leaf like mad. It was considered good garden sanitation. But now we know otherwise: That’s bad for the environment, killing beneficial insects that love all the leaf litter, which keeps them warm during the winter, and interrupting the food web.” —The New York Times

Fallen leaves are an important part of our ecosystem, a key ingredient for your composter, and an excellent source of free, nutrient-rich mulch for your garden. A recent New York Times article, "A Smarter Fall Cleanup," explains what responsible gardeners and homeowners should do. The great news: "When it comes to cleanup, less is often more effective."

Electric Vehicle Expo at Sunday Motor Co. Cafe

Thursday, Nov. 4

2:00–4:00 PM

Join us for an Electric Vehicle (EV) Expo at Sunday Motor Co. Cafe on Kings Road (at the corner of Green Village Rd.).

The latest EVs from Porsche, Tesla, Chevrolet and Volvo will be there—along with great electric cars and bikes owned by residents.

Bring your travel mug and get a great cup of Sunday Motor Co's freshly brewed tea or coffee to warm you up and enjoy while you check out the vehicles!

Masks and social distancing are, of course, required.

Hosted by the Environmental Commissions of Madison, Chatham Township and Chatham Borough.

Photo of Sunday Motor Co. Cafe by Henry Will.