Every garden needs water. Every roof sheds water into the street. In out little garden, we have taken advantage to create a water and money saving system for water collection.Out of the roof’s downspout, a portion of water flows into a series of 3 large water barrels. Two are plastic cisterns and one isa  recycled metal tank. When the water fills the first of the tanks, overflow pipes carry water to the next, until all are filled. These provide most of the water that is used in the garden for the purpose of growing our flowers and other plants. The top of each barrel also provides a small bond in which swim around plastic frogs and ceramic fish.

As you enter the garden, the path directs you into a round-about, centered with stone that stands 5ft tall, surrounded by ivy. This stone in often decorated for various holidays through the year, including a Christmas Tree during and after Advent. Around the outer ring of the circle, a double ring of standing stones wraps around like a little Stone Henge. All of these stones were collected from the local area, and stand cemented to form an intriguing little feature.

Butterflies are wonderful and beautiful guests that can be found visiting nearly every flower in the garden; but these colorful insects most enjoy a plant known as The Butterfly Bush. Our plant has grown to several feet tall and is covered with large purple flowers. Swallowtails and Monarchs, along with various other butterflies and moths can be seen throughout the spring and summer flitting back and forth between the flowers. You may even encounter their caterpillars among the bushes.​These bushes are also accompanied by a lovely mural, decorated with dozens of artistic metal butterflies, that stay year round. This was made in loving memory of Layla Grace, granddaughter of Librarian Vivian McCracken, and all babies born sleeping.

Another of our insect friends can be most often found among our blossoming pea plants. These are of course Praying Mantises. These odd bugs are very efficient hunters, and help rid the garden of pests. Their peculiar body shape is ideal for blending in with the surrounding pea plants, waiting patiently for their prey. If you look very carefully you may find one. And because of their ability to swivel their head and their peculiar eye structures, each Mantis will likely look right back at you. Our Mantises have been here in the garden for many generations, their generations of course. Each year, as the weather cools, we search the garden for their special egg sacks. We tend to find 1-3 each year. We then take these indoors to protect them from the elements and place them in the refrigerator. This is do to the fact that mantis eggs lay dormant in cold conditions; each spring we return the eggs to the garden and wait for the semitransparent nymphs to emerge.