A wonderful metamorphosis has taken place in the southeast corner of Riverside Park near the Miller-Claytor House. A flat grassy area at the edge of the park has been transformed into a beautiful new butterfly garden that will be Lynchburg Parks and Recreation first children’s garden. The project grew from Lynchburg Parks and Recreation’s Please Do Hug the Trees conservation and preservation campaign.

The idea took form and was shaped principally by Parks and Recreation student worker Melissa Pasierb, a recent Randolph graduate. Melissa worked much of the past year on the garden design, consulting with Laura Rosser, of Rosser Landscape and Design LLC. Parks and Recreation and Public Works staff combined efforts to establish three separate garden beds with attractive curved lines. On April 22, 2017, Melissa led a planting day with volunteers from the community and Liberty University bringing months of work to fruition, to create the beautiful garden for the community.The Parks and Recreation Department looks forward to future garden enhancements through collaboration with Kids Haven, a community-based organization dedicated to serving grieving children and their families. Melissa worked with local businesses to secure donations to bring the garden concept to a reality.

The Lynchburg Parks and Recreation Department, along with the community, greatly appreciate the generosity of the listed local businesses for helping to transform a grassy area to a wonderful garden space to attract butterflies and other pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and other insect pollinator populations are declining at a rapid pace due to loss of habitat, disease, and other environmental changes. Gardens such as the new Children’s Butterfly Garden will help provide food and shelter for pollinating and migrating insects. Visit the garden; sit and reflect on the beautiful custom-designed butterfly benches created and donated by Accutech Fabrication. The entire community will benefit from the benches and plants that were donated to make the garden an oasis for years to come. 

Thank you for your contributions: 

Accutech Fabrication

Aylors

Guthrie Nursery

Home Depot

Lowes

Rainfrost Nursery

Rosser Landscape and Design LLC

Virginia Garden Supply

Windfall Nursery