Launching our Native Pollinator Garden Blog: May 2026

Native Pollinator Garden Blog: May 2026

Hello and welcome to our first garden blog post!

I’m Ris Twigg (they/them) and I’m so glad you’re here! I joined Save the Dunes in May 2026 as their first Native Garden Landscaping Associate. You can learn about my background on our Staff page. I’m thrilled to be part of the team, and excited to help steward the native pollinator garden that was planted in 2024.

And my goodness, is this little plot of land bursting with life!

What to expect from our Native Pollinator Garden blog:

End-of-the-month updates on the latest blooms, pollinators who’ve visited, and new garden features

Lots of photos showcasing the beauty of what’s blossoming and who’s buzzing by

Brief recaps of events hosted in or featuring the garden

Invasive and aggressive species we’ve removed

While we’re delighted to launch this digital series, we hope that you leave these writings feeling inspired to visit the garden or start your own Homegrown National Park!

Our native pollinator garden is located on the historic Barker Woods property at 444 Barker Road, Michigan City, Indiana and is open to the public from dawn to dusk.

Now, let’s get into what happened throughout May!

May in the Garden

Click the images to see them full size.

Even though the April showers didn’t pour out a drastic amount of rain, they still blessed us with a rich array of May flowers.

This month welcomed blooms from Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), False Dandelion (Krigia biflora), Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), and Sand Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa).

Look at the shape of the Red Columbine and Foxglove Beardtongue.

Can you guess which pollinator flew by daily to drink from these flowers?

Did you guess a Ruby-throated Hummingbird?

What an absolute treat it was to see these brilliant birds buzz through the garden each morning and afternoon. Not only do the hummingbirds love these plants, but so do larger bumblebees who crawl almost all the way inside the flower, leaving their adorable bee-bottoms hanging out of the petals.

At the entrance to the garden is a showstopping display of blossoms from none other than our Sand Prairie Phlox. In the wild, Prairie Phlox sprouts up in small bunches with usually only less than a dozen or so flowers. We have a few like that in the garden, but the phlox by the door truly took the cake with its number of blooms and the size of the plant!

This is only one of MANY examples of how plants behave differently in a garden setting vs. in their wild habitat!

What We Removed In May

Not all that’s green is good! Sometimes, even with the best intentions and efforts, plants we don’t want weasel their way into the garden.

In May, I began the process of removing two invasive species — the aggressive and viney Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and the unmistakable Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata).

I also removed three “aggressive” yet native species: Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and Wild Raspberry (Rubus idaeus).

These aggressive plants colonized the western portion of the garden (the side with the bench). In the evening, this side gets quite a bit of shade from our Black Cherry and Oak trees, so they really dug their roots in.

I’m happy to report the majority of these settlers have been removed, ensuring plenty of space for our natives to thrive!

Barker Seasonal Forum: Native Landscaping Deep Dive

Last, but certainly not least, Manager of Communications & Community Engagement Em Racine hosted the Barker Seasonal Forum on May 27, this time focused on digging into our three Living in the Dunes guides. We started with a short hike through Barker Woods, toured the garden, and concluded with a wonderfully informative presentation on how to start your own native garden.

Native Pollinator Garden Blog: May 2026

What to expect from our Native Pollinator Garden blog:

May in the Garden

What We Removed In May

Barker Seasonal Forum: Native Landscaping Deep Dive

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