by Mary Reid Barrow

Photos by Natasha Roberts

“Plant  it and we will come,” said the monarch butterfly that visited the milkweed in LRNow’s native plant flower bed recently.

Office Manager Natasha Roberts photographed the butterfly and also found her eggs and caterpillars happily munching on the milkweed leaves.

LRNow moved into its office on a busy section of Holland Road near the Rosemont Road intersection in 2022. The location was not a natural ecosystem in any way, but it is now, thanks to the new garden.

Even before its official sign went up, LRNow put up the welcome sign for pollinators by planting native plants around the ordinary business cityscape.

Donations of native plants and shrubs from the gardens of LRNow staffers and members, and purchases from the likes of Southern Branch and Bennett’s Creek nurseries began brightening the tired beds.

Vince Bowhers, then LRNow’s Conservation Landscape Coordinator, oversaw the project as volunteers began filling the small scruffy grass patch in front with native plants, like milkweed, coreopsis, goldenrod, Joe Pye weed, gaillardia and more.

Now, not only monarch butterflies, but bumblebees and many other insects are spending their summer on Hollard Road.

Goldfinches, other finches, warblers, mockingbirds and more have arrived, attracted not only by the insects on the flowers but also by the shelter and food offered by native shrubs like beauty berry, sweet spire, inkberry, blueberry, and yaupon holly. Several bluebird pairs have nested in houses hung round the grounds.

A rain garden out back is another addition to the new ecosystem. The rain garden, bridge, planters benches, and picnic table came after the initial planting of the flower beds. They were constructed by Scott Stufflebeem as part of his Eagle Scout project and Paige Gregory as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project.

Now four volunteers help maintain the plants in a way that keeps them looking good for human eyes, and also leaves shelter and food in the beds year round for the critters.

But it is Natasha who, of all the staff at LRNow, has the window on LRNow’s natural world. Her office looks right out on the front beds with all the traffic beyond.

Though the Monarch butterfly was definitely her highlight of this summer so far, she has other favorite memories too. They include:

“The black widow outside my window last year, the pair of shy goldfinches that I only catch glimpses of, the little bunny that lived in the grasses under our sign and the flowers and plants that bloomed in the rain garden after all the rain we’ve had.”

“I also loved seeing the grandma from Ukraine, she added, “making a crown of clovers from the yard tor her little granddaughter!”

Stop by the office sometime and get Natasha’s view of LRNow’s natural world right on busy Holland Road.