We can provide suggestions with regards to plant choice in terms of growing conditions and pollinator support, but as it relates to well head protection and function, we defer to the knowledge of water quality specialist Andrew Lazur (see linked page for contact info.) since that is outside the realm of our expertise. We recommend you reach out to him to check on any restrictions for planting close to the well head in case root growth would present a problem.

Plant choice will depend on soil drainage (it sounds adequate) and if deer would visit the area to browse. You didn't mention a maximum plant height or width, but we'll skip over any perennials that are particularly tall or wide-spreading (unless they are easy to contain). No perennial has a very long-lasting flowers by itself (compared to annuals, at least, though a handful rebloom for a decent amount of time) but using a mix of species that encompass different bloom seasons will help the planting as a whole continue to be colorful and pollinator-attracting all season long. Below are some ideas for native perennials or shrubs, but it's not an exhaustive list. As a generalization, plant species belonging to the mint and aster families (Lamiaceae and Asteraceae, respectively) tend to be quite attractive to a variety of insects, especially bees and butterflies. Botanical names are in italics.

• Mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum, several species) - some will form wide clumps since they spread, but you can dig or pull out any sections that are spreading too far
• Blazing-star (Liatris, several species)
• Asters (formerly genus Aster and might sometimes still be labeled as such, now several genera including Symphyotrichum and Eurybia)
• Milkweed (Asclepias, several species) - Butterfly Weed is a good choice for a very compact, non-spreading milkweed, though any species except the Common (Asclepias syriaca) should fit well since that species can spread rampantly
• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) - included if you can use short shrubs, as the dwarf cultivars mature around 3 feet high. Blooms are very fragrant and attract lots of bees and some butterflies. Best in areas with consistently moist soil.
• Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
• Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) and Beebalm (Monarda didyma)
• Tall/Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

Coneflower (Echinacea) is not locally native but is probably not detrimental to plant if you find them appealing. Look for either species or choose cultivars that don't have "pom-pom" double flowers, where the central cone forms additional petals instead of flower parts insects can feed on. As for the Goldenrod (Solidago, some of which were also reclassified into other genus names, like Euthamia), some species are very aggressive spreaders but others are restrained. A few cultivars, like 'Little Lemon', should stay quite compact. With regards to the Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), several species occur in Maryland and look nearly identical to each other, though their resistance to leaf spot diseases varies considerably. Given its vulnerability to leaf spot, we recommend avoiding the often-grown cultivar of 'Goldsturm'. There are some new hybrids that are supposedly quite disease-resistant, and even some species (like Rudbeckia hirta) are probably also sufficiently resistant to not become an eyesore by the end of the growing season.

Our Pollinator Gardens page has more information about elements of the garden to consider and has links to more resources that include sample plant lists and garden plans. Given the proximity of the lawn, make sure that, if any pesticides are used on the lawn, they are as targeted as possible to the pest in question and any herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide residues don't run off or drift into the pollinator planting bed.

Miri