North Green Butterfly Meadow.... Progression

We're happy to see the newly planted North Green Butterfly Meadow doing well this summer. Most of the plants have established themselves well and are needing less watering. (Thank you Susan Stone for helping with the watering in July.) The sedums are beginning to show pink flower heads, the asters have buds, the hyssops have tall lavender-flowered spikes and the Joe Pye weeds have reached an impressive size and are heavy with purplish-pink florets. We hope to map and evaluate the existing perennials and to decide what new plants might be added in the Spring. How well the plants do through the winter will be important in making decisions too. Hopefully we might have some fledglings seedlings to nurse along for the Plant Sale too.


Here's a progression of photos showing the garden's evolution with a little help (actually a lot of help) from our IGC friends!

 Historic North Green before renovation...

 March 2013

An opportunity to beautify Ipswich arises as the renovated North Green planting areas take shape.

Early May, 2013

Grass and tree had to be removed so that we could use the entire area for a butterfly meadow.

Early June, 2013

Ipswich Public works skulled off lawn and removed tree and added top soil. Now the job to amend and turn over the soil began.

 June, 2013

This was a tough job but with lots of members helping we were able to ready the area in a couple of work days.

Thanks to all the members show here... Can you dig it?

Mud Girls

Mid June, 2013

As our ordered plants arrived at Corliss Bros., we began planting perennials.

late June, 2013

Late Spring rains helped us with new plant watering.

You may have seen Barbara M. tending the new garden day after day.

Early July, 2013

To keep the weeds at bay, we added about 9 yards of mulch.

Here is the garden on the day we finished spreading mulch. Immediately after that job, we got a very heavy thunderstorm and rain... we couldn't have been happier!

 August, 2013

In early August the garden shows off its lavender hyssops, pink coneflowers, yellow coreopsis, and budding sedums.

Sept. 28th- North Green Dedication Ceremony. Members of the Ipswich Garden Club were thanked publically for their efforts in beautifying this historic neighborhood of Ipswich with the butterfly meadow.