Pollinator Garden coming to life at Dalton-Whitfield library

Published 8:15 am Saturday, April 26, 2025

During the course of the year, the Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library might play host to families battling it out during an evening of Nerf Wars or a gathering of seniors getting their taxes done by a host of AARP volunteers.

It also welcomes dozens of people of all ages who come to use the computers, printers and other resources, and of course, people check out books, DVDs, CDs and video games.

Soon, the library will also be a welcoming place for butterflies. Thanks to the work of the Sprig & Dig Garden Club, as well as local landscapers and Dalton Public Works, the Pollinator Garden in front of the 43-year-old building on Cappes Street continues to see improvement with the addition of several plant varieties designed to attract lovely winged insects.

With the oversight of Sprig & Dig volunteers, workers from Fiddleheads Garden Center tilled the dirt before planting a variety of butterfly-loving plants, including viburnum, milkweed, goldenrod, baptista and lavender, at the end of March.

The butterfly garden area was created last year when a crew from Integrated Landscape Solutions built new stone and railroad tie retaining walls, removed and trimmed trees that were causing damage to the building, and mulched the entire area.

“We get so many comments from people who love how inviting the area is,” said Betsy Powell, Northwest Georgia Regional Library System interim director. “People love to stop and look at the plants and the kids love to play with the rain chains and rocks in the garden by the front door. Drawing butterflies to the garden will make it even more inviting.”

Last fall, the space was added to the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail (www.rosalynncarterbutterflytrail.org), adding it to a list of spaces dedicated to promoting “the full life cycle of butterflies common in this area with a special emphasis on the Monarch.”