What's the buzzz about?

You guys already know that NP and I have a thing for honey bees. But did you know that we also like to encourage other types of bees like bumble bees and mason bees? And butterflies and moths and lady beetles (especially the original red kind ;) ) and even though I am a bit squeamish about them – bats.
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Why do we want them around? What do all of these creatures have in common?? Bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and even bats are all pollinators. Pollinators are important not only to our crops but also to the ecosystem. It is said that pollinators are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we get to eat! Without pollinators we wouldn’t have much in the way of fruits and veggies on our plate. Over 2000 different food crops need pollinated by critters around the world.  

​NP and I recently found some Mason Bees in our backyard. We’re trying hard not to disturb them because we want them to stick around!

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We are also working to create habitat for pollinators in general. We started last year by adding a butterfly garden in our front yard. We plan to expand this in the future as well as establish a wildflower patch with bees and other native pollinators in mind. NP even almost has me convinced to add some bat houses by the barn and garden.

You can help native pollinators too by adding host plants to your garden and flower beds. By ‘host plants’, I mean the plants that pollinators lay their eggs on and that the larva then eat while they mature. In addition, creating ‘landing pads’ of sorts can help.  Some beneficial insects like honey bees can travel several miles to find food sources. Others, struggle to make it across your yard.  Having a water source is helpful too and can be as simple as a shallow pan or bird bath with rocks in it. The rocks are meant to provide a place for the insects to land so they don’t fall in and drown.
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 Some simple things to keep in mind when planting for pollinators is to plant native flowering plants whenever possible, stick to ‘single’ blossom varieties. Double headed flowers can be difficult for insects to get into and they tend to produce less of the nectar that pollinators need. If you can, try to pick a variety of plants that bloom at different times of the year so provide nectar and pollen all summer long.

This may all seem intimidating but you really don't have to do a lot to make a big difference. Even just a window box with pollinator friendly flowers can be a welcome little oasis in a sea of lawns and city buildings. In fact, I challenge each of you to incorporate some pollinator friendly plants from the lists below to your yard, garden, or window sill yet this summer!

Day lilies are a prominent part of our butterfly garden.

Showy milk weed is a host plant for monarchs AND a beauty in the garden!

Not much is blooming yet but we have a butterfly bush, several day lillies, many many showy milkweed, colombine, carnations and more in our butterfly garden.

This is the water pan that NP placed near our bee hive. Rocks located in the sun are also a great place for butterflies to warm their wings.

The butterfly caterpillars will eat a lot of these plants so if aesthetics are important to you, you may want to tuck these plants into less visible corners of your garden. The butterflies will still find them so it is a win win!

Enjoy!
Brun Ko Farm

Pick 1 or 2 flowers from each of these categories (Spring, Summer, Fall) and you will be well on your way to having a pollinator garden! If choosing herbs, you can harvest them all summer long to use in your kitchen but make sure to let them flower in the fall.