“To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow.” — Audrey Hepburn

When members of the Bull Valley Garden Club were introduced to TLC’s Thompson Road Preserve in 2024, they wanted to become involved.

TLC worked with residents of Bull Valley to preserve the 323-acre Thompson Road Preserve for life in 2022. As many know, the story of the land doesn’t end with preservation – the land must be cared for, and often restored to its pre-settlement state. Twice-monthly workdays at the site are allowing TLC staff and volunteers to come together to remove invasives, allowing native plants, trees and shrubs to flourish.

After the group’s visit to the site, Claudia Edwards of the Bull Valley Garden Club felt inspired, saying, “I was so impressed with the foresight and determination of a group of people to protect this property. It’s a project that will develop over time and has the potential to attract and involve the community in its development and enjoyment.”

She adds, “There are many uses for the property, and the possibilities for education are limitless. It can be a place to walk, a place to contemplate, a place to detox, a place to run, ride a horse, see a bird species and learn about a restored area of native plants. It is absolutely imperative that space be preserved for respite from our frenetic society.” 

Claudia and fellow club member Maggie Bailey applied for and received a Plant America grant from Garden Clubs of America to create a native pollinator garden at the entrance to the preserve. They were one of 20 awardees in the country, and the grant will cover the cost of the plant materials. The project they named “A Prairie Promise” will beautify the entrance, encourage pollinators and enhance the visitor experience at the site.

They worked with TLC to order plants appropriate for the site (and to combine purchasing power with Spring Native Plant Sale orders).

Claudia adds that the project has the potential to attract volunteers from all areas of the community, “We hope scout groups, members of the Audubon Society, horseback riding groups, bird watchers, insect collectors, other garden clubs, walkers, runners and educators will register to come and be a part of a team to plant. Any person or group that plans to enjoy this natural area can be utilized in this project.” 

The Bull Valley Garden Club is also providing materials for Woodstock North High School students to build three wooden benches to be placed on the trails on the property, providing special places to rest during a casual hike or a walk to see the flora and fauna.

The club has also been gathering cardboard to cover the 4,360 sq ft garden (about 1/10 acre), which will help with weed control and water retention. (A special thank-you to Harvard Eggs and Feed, and Blain’s Farm and Fleet for donating cardboard!) They have asked other members of the community such as the City of Woodstock to share its created mulch for the project. They also are seeking loaned wheelbarrows and volunteers to spread the mulch for the completed project. 

Future plans include a kiosk with information about the site, along with directional signage and plant identification. 

The club says the project would make a wonderful school or class videography project, and they are seeking someone who would like to take video or photos of the process to help tell the story of the project.

They project that over 100 volunteers will have been involved in the project from beginning to end. And this could be the beginning of many projects at Thompson Road Preserve. 

Says Claudia, “When we come together, anything is possible, especially in a place that will serve and provide enjoyment to so many people.”

Volunteers Needed!

On May 30 and 31, the Bull Valley Garden Club and members of the community will install the pollinator garden at the Thompson Road Preserve. Teams of volunteers are needed to plant, water and mulch the garden. Please bring gardening tools and gloves if you have them. Three-hour shifts are requested; however, times are flexible.

If you would like to help out, or if you would like to recommend groups that might wish to participate, please email Judy Reilly at jreilly038@gmail.com.

Dates: Friday, May 30, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. & 1-4:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 31, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. & 1-4:00 p.m.

Location: Thompson Road Preserve, 9505 Thompson Rd. Bull Valley