Summer Solstice June 21, 2022: The Welcome to the Catskills Pollinator Garden photos:
The story of the Butterfly/Pollinator Garden on the grassy knoll in front of Kenco Outfitters, 1000 Hurley Mtn. Road/Rte 28, Kingston, N.Y. (autumn 2021 photos at the bottom of page) For many years, the grassy knoll in front of Kenco Outfitters called to me to create a Welcome to the Catskill Mountains Butterfly Garden; in the spring of 2021, the process was begun.
I had no idea how many rocks it took to build four garden walls for wings, turns out, thousands upon thousands. I collected old stones from broken walls hundreds of years old from the mountain where I live with the help of Toni Weidenbacher, Jason Davis, and my husband, Steve Jones. Bill Kennedy, owner of Kenco, who allowed me to plant a garden on his knoll, contributed four dump truck loads of bluestone, then soil and mulch. It took two months to build the garden walls, adjusting the shape of the wings along the way.
Toni & I did the first wing; we joked that old ladies rock, yeah. A strapping young man, Jason Davis, helped with the other three wings. Other helpers appeared here and there along the way, the more hands, the faster the progress.
Before the soil was put it, we covered the grass with newspapers and cardboard, which will slowly decompose, killing the grass underneath, releasing nitrogen into the soil.
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May 15th and 16th were designated first planting days. We put out the word that plants were needed, the twelve foot in diameter wings were a lot to fill. The first one to donate aplant was Patrick Conway in honor of his wife Donna, who loved butterflies and had died the year before. 
The plant, a yellow coreopsis, is planted in the heart, the very center of the kayak. Many others contributed plants, time, and energy.
June 16th: The Welcoming Butterfly Pollinator Garden at One Month : I’ve been working it intensely with a little help from my friends, actually a lot of help from my friends. Many thanks to the maintenance team: Toni Weidenbacher, and Kathleen Nord. Many thanks to all those individuals who have donated plants as well as Catskill Native Nursery, Bozzanko’s Greenhouse & Nursery, Adams Fairacre Farm, Migliorelli Farms, and Sunfrost Farms. Special thanks to the Phoenicia branch of Ulster Savings Bank for their support.
The Pollinator Garden at Kenco is already certified as a N.Y. Bee Sanctuary, Monarch Waystation #190,004, a Xerces Society Pollinator Protector, and registered with Pollinator Partnership as part of their million butterfly garden challenge. 
The beautiful hand painted sign is by the artist Toni Weidenbacher, helper extraordinaire at evcery stage of this project. Helping in the process of creating this garden was my ever supportive husband, Stephen M. Jones, and Roz Chernesky, Kathleen Nord, Christine Barnes, Helena Baldyga and Tim from Massachusetts. Special thanks to
AnnE O’Neil and Lisa Bright. Many thanks and much appreciation to the plant contributors: 
Maraleen Manos-Jones
Toni Weidenbacher
Pam Krimsky not only brought numerous plants, but helped plant them
Patrick Conway in honor of his beloved wife, Donna, who loved butterflies
Donna Conway’s children Robert Jr., Shane, Justin, and granchildren, Robert 3rd, Aiden and Jacob. 
Kathleen Nord
Marian Tortorella
Ian Laughlin
Anne O’Neil
Carole Hostetter
Jill Obrig
Sharon, Ralph, & Annie Van Kleeck. 
Monica & Johnny Alvarez
Betsy Blair
Vivian Welton
Penny Bollard
Linda Champanier
Flannery McDermott
Jan Sosnowitz
Linda Sobel
Carolynn Murphy
Danny Hendlin
Constance Rudd
Betty Boomer
Susan H
The Doocey Family
Thanks to Picnic Pizza for their cardboard boxes and to the folks at the Olive, Woodstock and Hurley dumps for helping to collect newspapers to keep the weeds down.
July 31st, the day of the opening ceremony and blessing, was a perfectly beautiful clear 75 degrees with about 75 people attending. Festivities started at 4:30p.m. After opening gratitude and a few words by Bill Kennedy andToni Weidenbacher, I shared this poem that came to me while working on the garden, accompanied by Marian Tortorella on the dulcimer, who also regaled us with an original Butterfly Song and Song of Love
Spirit calls
Dreams awaken
The stones call to me
Muscles tighten, strengthen
The dream continues
Awaken, awaken
The birds bees & butterflies need us
to be
better guardians of our precious planet
or
all will be lost
The great intricate tapestry of life
woven of spider webs, nests of twigs and moss, with combs for homes,
all interconnected by invisible threads of light,
with love
can heal the wounds of our hearts
Love the earth,
Love thyself
We are all made of the same stardust
Blessed Beeeeees
Butterfly Spirit summoned us
Grateful to all those who contributed plants and energy
interwoven into this welcoming garden
We care here
We take care here
We walk here
We work here
We welcome all pollinators here
It is my hope that pollinator spirit imbues the tapestries of your lives,
guiding your way.
Raphael Garritano strummed a 19th century Spanish piece called Mariposa followed by part of the Native American women’s group Spirit of Thunderheart who blessed the garden with words, rattles and dance.
For the closing ritual, everyone had a chance to choose a plant from the garden to which they were attracted and pour ‘compost tea’* onto it as they poured in their love as well.
Autumn 2021 in the Pollinator Garden 
