The Dawson County Woman’s Club is inviting everyone to the Third Annual Pollinator Garden Tour in Dawsonville and Dawson County.  Small displays and larger home gardens contain amazing collections of native perennials visited by honey bees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators.  Each garden has information on the best plants to grow, tips for attracting honey bees and butterflies, and free flowers and seeds.

The small displays or ‘Pollinator Spots’ are located in downtown Dawsonville and include

Main Street Park, Dawson County Farmers’ Market, The Fancy Flea, Dawsonville City Hall, The Bowen Center, and the Dawson County Library.

The larger Home Gardens include Edie Chodora’s garden -127 Harbour Ridge Dr

Elizabeth Anne Dalton’s garden – 155 Scenic Overlook

Georgann Schmalz’s garden – 152 Willow Oak Lane

Visitors will see a wide range of native species in fruit and flower, including Mountain Mint, Anise Hyssop, Agastache, Purple Cone Flowers, Milkweed, Bee Balm,

Black-eyed Susan, Touch-me-not, Hot Lips Salvia and some unusual plants like Fairy Candle, Foam Flower, Crosominia, Big Blue Sea Holly, Ithuriel’s Spear, Clasping Venus’ Looking Glass

and Naked Ladies

In addition to the native plant species, these gardens are an important ecosystem for insect pollinators such as honey bees, native bees, wasps, flies, butterflies and bumblebees. Guests will have the opportunity to observe these creatures in action as they move from flower to flower, collecting nectar and spreading pollen.

 The DCWC mission is to inspire and encourage our community to join the grassroots effort to create productive ecosystems one plant at a time.  By setting aside part of our properties for native plants, whether it’s a few feet or a few acres, we will be saving our pollinators that are so incredibly vital but threatened by pesticides and lack of healthy and diverse ecosystems.  Join the club… remove half your grass and plant natives.

This event is free.  Children are welcome to enjoy the flowers and get tattoos and stickers.