A Garden in Mars that's Out of this World
For nearly three years, our members maintained a pollinator garden at the Mars Area Public Library. This little garden is situated on the corner of Grand Avenue and Clark Street in downtown Mars, Pennsylvania. Visited by many people and pollinators, this garden is an example of how to provide food and nectar sources as well as year round habitat for our many pollinators.
It was exciting to see our members embrace this community service project and come together to care for it. We exchange ideas, share our garden experiences and cultivate community through our Horticultural Therapy Program. Members meet weekly in the garden May through October to work with young adults facing intellectual/developmental challenges and autism, in cooperation with the C.A.R.E.S organization.
In 2025 we plan to offer a 'Book Walk' in the garden. This project involves selecting a book, dismantling the pages and weather proofing them, then affixing them to posts to display. Visitors read the pages of the book as they walk along the garden path. Be sure to stop by in the spring to see the garden wake from its long winters nap.
Jill Barger
President, Southern Butler County Garden Club