Skip to Navigation Skip to Content
Decorative woodsy background

The Pollinator Garden Prepares for Winter

What a summer it was for the pollinator garden in its second year! Growth was vigorous, and blooms were abundant – drawing a constant hum of life from bees, butterflies, birds, and countless other visitors. Each day brought new pollinator activity and a reminder of how quickly this young garden has become an important habitat.

Now, as the season shifts, the garden continues to support life in quieter ways. We’ve deliberately left the stalks and seed heads to stand through winter, where they’ll offer food and shelter for birds, small mammals, and overwintering insects. Even as the bright colors fade, the garden’s textures and forms remain striking – proof that beauty and ecological value endure long after the last flower has bloomed.

Our thanks to the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation, The Lyme Foundation, the Utility Club of Lyme, and the many generous neighbors who make this garden possible.

Pollinator Garden Prepares for Winter Gallery

Inspiring flowers Photo: Emily S. Rowe
A few flowers to enjoy indoors before they finish for the season. New England American-aster, upland white goldenrod, and wild bergamot bloomed late into the autumn. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Indoor flowers Photo: Emily S. Rowe
A small bouquet of spotted bee balm, coreopsis, and hairy beardtongue seed heads. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Bee getting nectar Photo: Jackson Saul
A bumble bee extracts nectar on a New England American-aster flower. | Photo: Jack Saul
Morning bumble Photo: Jackson Saul
The bumblebees hang on the flowers overnight and wait to warm in the morning sun. | Photo: Jack Saul
Bee Photo: Jackson Saul
There must be some nectar in here somewhere! | Photo: Jack Saul
Bee Photo: Jackson Saul
So much bumble bee activity on the wild bergamot. | Photo: Jack Saul
Bee aster Photo: Jackson Saul
The color of New England American-aster was a joyful late season sight. | Photo: Jack Saul
Coreopsis Photo: Jackson Saul
Lance-leaved coreopsis still provides color and food in the autumn months. | Photo: Jack Saul
Curling aster Photo: Emily S. Rowe
The curling petals of New England American-aster provide late season interest. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Waning flowers Photo: Emily S. Rowe
The waning flowers of asters will soon be full of delicious seeds for birds and mammals. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Mint seeds Photo: Jackson Saul
There are hundreds of seeds hiding in these dried stalks of downy wood mint. | Photo: Jack Saul
Hyssop seeds Photo: Jackson Saul
The dried flowers of purple giant hyssop have been attracting finches for weeks with their supply of seeds. | Photo: Jack Saul
Shrubby wort Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Shrubby St. John’s wort displays autumn colors and provides lovely textural interest in the garden. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Fungi milkweed Photo: Jackson Saul
A fungus decorated with some milkweed fluff – also known as floss. | Photo: Jack Saul
Side porch Photo: Emily S. Rowe
The side porch offers a perfect view of our pollinator garden, with the Lyme Historians building poised across the common. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe

Discussion *

Nov 05, 2025

How were you able to mitigate your issues with the deer? They eat almost everything in our pollinator garden at Jefferson Memorial Forest in Louisville, KY.

Ginny Delaney
Nov 03, 2025

Congratulations on a wonderful growing season! I can’t wait to see how the garden will continue to fill in next year.

Elise Tillinghast
Oct 23, 2025

Your article is great!  The garden is amazing .  Fall has swept right in…too fast… but then I don’t want to move south LOL

marghi Bean
Oct 23, 2025

I’ve enjoyed visiting the pollinator garden throughout the summer - thank you!

Abbe Bjorklund
Oct 23, 2025

I believe that most folks would change their monoculture yards to places of nature for wildlife, beginning with insects that our birds need if they understand how utterly important and critical this is for our futures. We need to stop being told what is beautiful by landscape businesses that make money without much thought to the welfare of the life dependent on our native environments. Open your eyes to the beauty that nature provides. Read “Bringing Nature Home” Breathe deeply.

K Miller

Leave a reply

To ensure a respectful dialogue, please refrain from posting content that is unlawful, harassing, discriminatory, libelous, obscene, or inflammatory. Northern Woodlands assumes no responsibility or liability arising from forum postings and reserves the right to edit all postings. Thanks for joining the discussion.