Blossoms help a bit to lessen the overwhelm and frustration. Bees too. The bees are loving the balcony this year, especially the new catkin willows (a red Mount Aso, a black, and an unpictured green dragon)

#gardeningforbees #balconygarden #urbangarden #balkongarten

Excerpt from "How to make your yard a friendlier place for #pollinators"

#Pollination doesn't only produce more plants – it also helps make fruits and vegetables larger, more abundant, and even more flavorful.

by Abby Jackson, January 22, 2024
The Cool Down [#US-based publication]

How to Support Pollinators in Your Yard

"Plants are the foundation for every living thing on our planet, and without pollination, plants would be unable to reproduce and our food supply would be at risk.

"Here are a few things you can do to support their safety and protect our food resources for years to come:

- Avoid #pesticides, #herbicides, and synthetic #fertilizers as much as possible.

- Choose flowering plants that produce pollen and nectar, that are native to your area, and that support a variety of pollinators. Avoid hybrid plant varieties, as they've been bred specifically for aesthetics and may have unattractive nectar.

- You can use the #NationalWildlifeFederation's #NativePlant finder to discover plants in your area that attract pollinators. The #AudubonSociety has a similar search that identifies native plants in your area that attract birds.

- Follow seasonal changes and diversify your yard with plants that bloom at different times of the year for year-round blooms.

- Remove #InvasivePlants and weeds when possible.

- Provide a hydration station. Birdbaths are hazards for many pollinators because they can easily drown in them and because they are preyed on by other animals. Filling a shallow bowl with pebbles or marbles to a low water level will allow pollinators to drink while sitting on a perch. [I do create "bee baths" with marbles and rocks. I will be very cautious if I decide to provide "bird baths" this summer]

- Provide nesting sides, like a #BeeHouse. [Old logs can be good for some bees]

- Use certain plants strictly as food for the larvae of pollinators to ensure they will have enough energy to grow and frequent your yard. For example, #MonarchCaterpillars [and #TussockMothLarvae] love to eat #milkweed, and #BlackSwallowtailCaterpillars feed on #parsley [I did not know this! I will provide some parsley for their consumption this year!]

"#Rewilding your yard with native plants and #clovers, designating a garden bed to attract pollinators, or even having a pollinator-friendly plant in a pot on your #balcony are other ways you can make your area a friendlier space for pollinators.

"Any action that helps pollinators is a positive action that benefits you and the animals and nature around you."

Read more:
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-home/how-to-make-your-yard-a-friendlier-place-for-pollinators/
#GardeningForPollinators #GardeningForBees #Gardening #SolarPunkSunday

Excerpt from "How to make a bee-friendly garden" [in the #UK]

#BBCGardenersWorld Magazine
Published: Tuesday, 31 May 2022

"Grow 'woolly' plants

Wool carder bees are one of the UK's largest #SolitaryBees , and they get their name from their practise of collecting hairs from plant leaves and stems, in order to build the cells within their nests. The plants you can grow to provide the 'wool' include #LambsEars (#Stachys) and #mullein (#Verbascum) species."

https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/how-to-make-a-bee-friendly-garden/
#UKGardens #GardeningForPollinators #GardeningForBees #SolarPunkSunday #BeeFriendlyGardens

Excerpt from "Gardening for Butterflies and #Pollinators" -- #IowaStateUniversity Cooperative Extension

"Common Pollinators in #Iowa

"Common insect pollinators in Iowa include honey bees [not native, and can compete and overwhelm native bees], #bumblebees, #SolitaryBees, #beetles, #butterflies, #flies, #ants, and #wasps. These insects are not selflessly doing a favor to the flowers. The insects are enticed to do the job with a reward of food. The food is usually nectar (sugar and water) and pollen (protein).

How to Establish a Butterfly or #PollinatorGarden

"Sunny Location

"Locate your garden where it receives the greatest amount of sun exposure possible. Insects such as butterflies and
pollinators are cold-blooded and depend on the sun to warm their bodies. Also, the plants on which butterflies and pollinators depend generally grow better in full sun (six or more hours of sunshine per day).

"Nectar and Pollen Sources

"Different species of butterflies and pollinating insects are active at different times of the year. Therefore
it is important to provide pollen and nectar sources throughout the growing season and offer various flower shapes and sizes. Plant in groups—not rows— to increase the likelihood of butterflies and pollinators finding and choosing your garden for a feeding stop."

Web page:
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/resource/gardening-butterflies-and-pollinators

Link to PDF:
https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/5736
#SolarPunkSunday #GardeningForPollinators #GardeningForBees #Gardening

For your #BloomScrolling pleasure, I present one of my small #RainGardens

Bonus #GnomeWar locations in #AltText

#GardenForWildlife #GardeningForWildlife #GardeningForPollinators #GardeningForBees #BeeSafeYard #GardensOfMastodon #RainGarden #GardenPhotography #Garden #Gardens #GardenGnomes

I enjoy spending time with bees & watching them do their bee things. I keep shallow water dishes w/pebbles(to prevent from drowning) around the yards for the benefit of beloved bees 🐝💧

We have a few #bumblebee hives in both front/back yards. Our gardens get tons of #bees activity. There's a neighbour who's a beekeeper too. Last year he lost all his bees from fast spreading bee wing disease & had to start anew.

#Pollinators #GardeningForBees #insect #entomology #Saanich #VictoriaBC #PNW #nature