Tag: Pollinators
The Best Coneflower Varieties, For Pollinators and Gardeners
If you are thinking about adding Coneflowers (Echinacea sp. and cvs.) to your garden this spring, you might want to look at a recent report put out by the Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. The Center has done extensive research with an eye to promoting the use of native plant varieties in American home gardens. …
2 Onions and 2 Critters
There are 2 species of summer-blooming Allium growing in our garden’s Left Bank and Lamppost Beds: the native Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) and the exotic hybrid ‘Millenium’.
Gorgeous Garlic Chives and a Superb Sunflower
The most interesting plants in the Herb Garden right now are the Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) and the ‘Italian White’ Sunflower (Helianthus annuus).
Thanks a Million
A few days ago the Chicago Tribune ran a story about how 14,000 Chicago gardens had been registered with the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, contributing to the total of 1,040,000 gardens registered since 2015 when the challenge was launched. Actually, the press release announcing this achievement came out on February 26th, so it’s not exactly …
Pesticide Progress for Pollinators?
A new study by the Pesticide Research Institute indicates that the presence of neonicotinoids has fallen by half in ornamental plants sold by major retailers. Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticide that is widely considered to be a major threat to the future of bees and other pollinators. The study tested plants purchased …
The End of Colony Collapse Disorder?
There was a somewhat encouraging but confusing opinion piece in the New York Times on Friday about the decline of honeybees. In the column, biologist Noah Wilson-Rich states that “Scientists I’ve spoken to in both academia and government have strong reason to believe that CCD [Colony Collapse Disorder] is essentially over.” Wilson-RIch claims that there …
Lights! Cameras! Pollen!
So now there are bees and pollinators all over the front garden. Especially bumblebees. Judy took these videos with her phone. This first one is mostly bumblebees on the Wild Bergamot. Judy says these bees are rather hyperactive and difficult to keep in the frame. Bumblebees always seem so industrious, but also cute. Maybe because …
Goldenrod’s Midas Touch
Goldenrods (Solidago sp.) are one of the iconic flowers of fall. Because it is a common roadside weed, and because it is often inaccurately blamed for the airborne pollen that aggravates hayfever, some people have a hard time thinking of goldenrods as garden plants. That’s a shame, because they can add texture as well as …
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