Central Library Pollinator Garden

Artist Manolo Valdes’s ‘Butterfly’ sculpture is the centerpiece of the St. Louis Central Library renovated central plaza. The sculpture captures a sense of movement and whimsy that has made Valdes a sculptor of international fame. However, when initially installed, the sculpture was surrounded by a bed of lawn grass. The St. Louis Library wanted a pollinator garden to surround the sculpture that would be a functional pollinator habitat, but also compliment the artistic merits of the sculpture.

The i5Group’s landscape design of the pollinator plaza strives to create a sense of movement that compliments the ‘Butterfly’ sculpture. All Missouri native plantings provide for pollinator habitat and food sources from spring through fall. The design carefully balances artistic considerations, such as swaths of color, with plant selections that thrive with the micro-climate and pollinator habitat.

Lead Designer: The i5Group

Contractor: DJM Ecological

Client: St. Louis Public Library