The AFV Resilience Pollinator Garden

Welcome to the AFV Park Resilience Pollinator Garden

This demonstration pollinator garden features tough sun loving natives, great pollinator annuals, and adaptable native shrubs in a formal garden design.

The garden was installed during May of 2022 and its name, Resilience, reflects how the plants overcome impossible conditions. Half the garden sits over an old asphalt road covered with six inches of poor, dry soil. The other half of the garden is above packed gravel and rocks, also with the same six inches of poor soil. The garden must survive in extremes of moisture; it receives water runnoff from the surrounding road, causing it to be wet in rainy conditions and dry duriing period of full sun. Finally, the site receives full sun from dawn until dusk, baking in the heat during the summer months. It would seem impossible that anything could grow, let alone thrive, in such tough conditions. This garden demonstrates the resilience of our native plants to overcome adverse conditions.

The garden was made possible by a generous grant from the Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon chapter and funding and support from the Town of Greenburgh. It is solely maintained by volunteers and loved by all. A special thank you to Bobby Breen and Sav DeGiorgio of Greenburgh Parks and Recreation for the many ways they continue to support this effort.

We hope you consider using similar plants in your own yards to support our endangered pollinators. If you have any question about the plants you can contact us.

AFV Resilience Garden Co-chairs:

Mai Mai Margules and Carol Sommerfield

The Plants in the Garden

Learn more about the plants in this garden by clicking here. You will find the names of each plant, pictures, descriptions, and information about how each plant helps pollinators and wildlife. We hope this inspires you to create your own pollinator garden. No matter how small, every effort helps. Together we can save our endangered pollinators and birds by taking action in our own yards and on our decks and balconies.

Don't know how to start to create a pollinator garden? No problem! Here are four step-by-step guides to making a new garden. We give you the design, the materials and quantities you'll need, and the list of plants. There are four different garden sizes in each guide, including container gardens. You buy the plants, dig them in, and watch them grow. Check them out - it's easy! Mailbox not needed.

Full to Part Sun Pollinator Wildflower Mailbox Gardens

Full to Part Sun Pollinator Grass and Sedge Mailbox Gardens

Part Shade Pollinator Mailbox Gardens

Full to Part Sun Monarch Butterfly Mailbox Garden