If You Plant Them, They Shall Come!

(Photo taken from Flowering Magazine Online Site)

 

            Habitat loss is one of the greatest dangers to bees today. Overdevelopment of land, the high use of pesticides and toxic chemicals in our environment, diseases, and parasites have threatened the pollinators that provide us with most of our food. Creating habitats in our landscapes for native pollinators like "bees, flies, wasps, insects, moths, butterflies, beetles, bats, birds, and several mammals matter because without these pollinators, our fruits, vegetables, herbs, chocolates, coffees, nuts, and spices" will vanish off the face of the earth.

"There are over 20,000 bee species globally, four-thousands" of them beating their tiny wings in the United States alone, but their populations are dwindling at alarming rates. Anybody can create a bee habitat in a backyard garden or a flowerpot. By feeding the bees with "nectar and pollen rich" native perennials that bloom early in the season, followed by mid and late season blooms and avoiding the use of pesticides and toxic chemicals we can boost these dwindling pollinator populations. In the northeast, early blooming nectar and pollen rich flowers are Digitalis, Echinacea, Spiderwort, and Blue Wild Indigo.  Mid-season blooming perennials are Milkweed, Wild Bergamot, Hyssop, Mountain Mint, and Blazing Star. These flowering plants can be followed by the late-season blooms of Goldenrod, Green-headed Coneflower, Yarrow, and New England Aster.

            It’s never too late to plant your pollinator garden! If you plant it, they shall come!

 

Bibliography

1. Flowering Magazine Online. Susan Hall Mahon. 2022. <https://flowermag.com/how-to-plant-a-pollinator-garden/>
2. Northeast Pollinator Online. Ed. Jane Sorenson. 15 August 2023. <https://www.northeastpollinator.com/>
3. The Spruce Online. Les Engles. 28 February 2022. < https://www.thespruce.com/all-about-pollinator-gardens-5195334>
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture Online. Brianna Randall. 22 June 2020. <https://www.farmers.gov/blog/value-birds-and-bees#:~:text=More%20than%2080%20percent%20of,with%20the%20help%20of%20pollinators>