Hello to all gardeners, aspiring gardeners, or those just wondering what the heck is going on at Mill Pond Park! We are a small group of volunteers in Milltown, NJ that are working to make our town a little nicer for both people and wildlife by replacing unused spaces with native plant gardens.

Our recent project, which began in 2021 thanks to ANJEC funding, has been to restore an area of Mill Pond Park that was planted as a pollinator garden decades ago but has been lost to time (and invasive grape vines!).

One section of this garden space is being designed as a “demonstration garden” and has 3 small garden beds with native flowering plants that butterflies and other pollinators LOVE. Earlier this summer, we built garden walls, got plants in the ground, and have been doing our best to keep the new plants happy while shaking our fists at the rain clouds that keep blowing right around Milltown.

And stay tuned, because we will post our plant lists, design plans, and instructions for these garden beds so that anyone who wants to replicate one of our gardens in their own yard can do so easily.

Next steps: improving signage, adding paths, expanding garden space, and (as always) fighting weeds! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you would like to learn more or lend a hand.