Pollinators: ‘Thriving ecosystem for these essential creatures’

LUNENBURG — National Pollinator Month is being celebrated at Lakeview Nurseries with related programming and a festival open to the public.

Jacquie LeCuyer is the resident pollinator specialist at the multigenerational family-run business located at 308 Electric Ave. She is part of the team hosting Pollen Fest Weekend there on June 27 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., an affair that will be full of free education and events for the whole family including kids crafts and activities, a native plant talk, pruning demos and meeting the pollinators themselves.

A self-described “bee geek,” LeCuyer reported that there are 398 species of bees, 120 butterfly species and over 3,000 moth species in Massachusetts.

“Many of the native species are small so you have to take a second look sometimes to notice them,” she said.

The Townsend resident also divulged that roughly 70% of bees are ground nesting and shared some tips to keep outdoor spaces pollinator friendly.

“Getting people to understand simple garden practices like delayed garden cleanup in the spring, leaving stems up in the fall, limited to no pesticide use, and providing nesting areas like exposed soils, wood piles for carpenter bees, and small cavities like bee houses for example can make a huge difference,” LeCuyer relayed.

“You also don’t have to plant a huge native garden either, simply having two native species for every one regular cultivar in your garden can provide those extra resources that the pollinators are looking for. If everyone did a little bit, together it would make a huge difference in supporting these creatures.”

This is the single mom’s second season at Lakeview after leaving the plastics industry to pursue her green thumb path and she brought garden work experience with her as part of her family history. She grew up in both Townsend and Lunenburg, and her late grandfather Ernest was “an avid green thumb and gardener with massive vegetable gardens,” so much so that a photo of him holding some of his potato crop ran in a local newspaper many years ago.

“I’ve always had a strong passion for gardening and flowers since I was a kid,” LeCuyer said. “My grandpa taught me so much of what I know, and he was very successful with all his crops here in Lunenburg.”

She shared that Lakeview Nurseries has been part of the greater community since World War II, having been started by the current owner Michelle Harvey’s grandmother when her grandfather was overseas.

“Today, the entire team of Garden Geeks here at Lakeview are passionate about teaching those in the community how to care for their plants and earn a green thumb,” LeCuyer said of the tightknit group that includes her, Harvey, Rick Docekal and Alec Mayer.

And they are just as passionate about pollinators and are proud to have LeCuyer, a certified pollinator steward, on their team.

According to information on the Lakeview Nurseries website — lakeviewnurseries.com — this means the Garden Geeks now possess the expertise to offer guidance and design services and educational resources for creating and maintaining sustainable pollinator gardens and habitats.

“There is so much good that comes from our team here at Lakeview,” LeCuyer expressed. “We are called the Garden Geeks because that is what we are and we love to share all we know with anyone that comes into our store.”

The path to her area of expertise began last year when Harvey and Docekal sponsored LeCuyer to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Agriculture Extensions Pollinator Steward Certification Program.

“It provided me with the knowledge and skills to teach those in the community about native bee species and pollinators, plus how to create sustainable ecosystems that support them,” LeCuyer said.

She has been hosting monthly pollinator talks at the nursery and sending out a monthly newsletter called Pollen Grains that features a plethora of information “to encourage support of these essential critters.” In addition, they offer a free kids potting bench activity and pollinator scavenger hunt that changes every month.

“Green thumbs start small!” LeCuyer said of the importance of making sure to include the younger set.

Mayer led a hummingbirds buffet hanging basket class at Lakeview, which they hosted as a way to encourage people to use plants instead of hummingbird sugar water feeders, and Harvey is a Massachsuetts Certified Landscape Professional and Massachusetts Certified Horticulturalist. These are just some examples of the Garden Geeks all having unique talents that they bring to the table, making them a stellar team combined.

“What I enjoy the most about my job the staff that I work with. Our team is so knowledgeable and passionate about gardening that it’s hard to not geek out together, that’s why we lovingly refer to ourselves as the Garden Geeks,” LeCuyer shared. “Rick has over 30 years of working with shrubs and trees and he has a deep understanding of their growth habits above and below the ground. Alec has been at Lakeview since he was 16 and his plant ID skills and native plant knowledge make him a walking encyclopedia on botany and horticulture.

“Both Rick and Alec have their Green School certifications and Michelle, the third-generation owner, has roots and passion that run so deep. I love learning more from her every day,” she continued. “There is not a single staff member that doesn’t have a smile on their face and a passion for planting.”

LeCuyer spread her creative wings and was recognized for her ingenuity when she took the top prize at the Fitchburg Art Museum’s annual Art in Bloom exhibit this past April for her piece titled “Abundantia,” which included two jaw bones of cows from her property along with dried mushrooms and various flora.

But what she enjoys most is being a part of the Lakeview Nurseries crew and all of the ways she gets to impart her expertise and excitement for all things horticulture with their guests.

“My favorite work at the nursery is doing garden designs, educating customers and building their confidence with gardening,” LeCuyer said. “I love to share with people how to take care of their plants, the best spots to plant them, and how to care for them in a way that keeps the blooms going. Now with my pollinator certification, building their gardens into a thriving ecosystem for these essential creatures adds a new level to my passion.”