Think library and a room filled with books and computers comes to mind. Bloomingdale Public Library imagined a place where people were working and relaxing outdoors amidst butterflies. With a generous discretionary grant, a visioning session for board members and staff and community input, that vision was realized.

Ribbon Cutting for the Dominic Froio Memorial Garden September 2021

The new outdoor space, designed by GARY R. WEBER ASSOCIATES, INC, a Wheaton Landscape Architecture firm committed to ecological integrity, offers tables, seating and wi-fi access. The butterfly wing sculptures perched atop the light poles remind everyone this space is also intended for butterflies.

Architectural Sketch by Gary R Weber, Inc Wheaton

The Dominic Froio Memorial Garden is a refuge for bees and butterflies. The gardens are filled with butterfly weed, coneflower, asters and other native species providing nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies and food for hungry caterpillars. The gardens were installed in 2021. They were ready this summer for monarchs to lay eggs and with resources for foraging bees and butterflies.

Photo courtesy of the Bloomingdale Public Library

Bloomingdale residents can stop by the library to check out a book and enjoy a peaceful read among the flowers and butterflies.

The gardens are certified as butterfly habitat by the North American Butterfly Association and as a Monarch Waystation.

The gardens and outdoor seating areas were made possible by a generous donation from the estate of the late Dominic Froio.

Bloomingdale Public Library joined DuPage Monarch Project in July 2022.