Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon The sight of the masses of hot pink flowers that cover the bare branches of Taiwan cherry trees in late winter definitely chases the blues away. Hummingbirds, honeybees, and butterflies hurry to sip the nectar. Small cherries soon follow and before they fully ripen, songbirds gobble them up. …
Make your yard a haven for our beloved pollinators Story and Photos by Jennifer Williams Pollinators – one of the latest gardening buzzwords. The decline of pollinators worldwide, and the many effects of this decline, is in the forefront of the minds of scientists, farmers, and gardeners. Planting even a small corner of your home …
It’s not just honeybees and butterflies Story by Helen Newling Lawson Helping pollinators is a hot gardening trend right now (dare we say there’s a “lot of buzz”?). Initiatives such as the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge are bringing attention to the need to create habitats for at-risk pollinators such as monarch butterflies and honeybees. But …
How to build a mason bee house Story by Sue Hughes The Problem If you’re like me, you’ve entertained the idea of beekeeping – until the over-$100 starter kits, ridiculous outfits, and the prospects of a sticky, syrupy harvest caused that thought to make a beeline right out of your head. Yes, I want to …
Creating a bee-friendly herbal oasis Story by Brenda Lynn An herb garden is an oasis of scents, textures, and flavors that add just the right zing to summer meals. But we aren’t the only ones who enjoy a burst of flavor on a hot summer day. Honeybees and other pollinators are drawn to the delicious …
Landscape designs that welcome pollinators to the garden Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon Attracting pollinators to the garden is an endeavor that every gardener should pursue. In addition to European honeybees and the multitude of native bees, many butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, moths, solitary wasps, and flies visit flowers to transfer pollen from the …
Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon Native spotted horsemint (Monarda punctata), one of the remarkable members of the mint family, is a beautiful short-lived perennial herb that is a must-have for the pollinator garden. Butterflies, bees, solitary wasps, and other beneficial insects flock to the gorgeous, nectar-rich flowers. It is also deer resistant and …
Put your time in the garden to good use … for science! Story and Photography by Allan Pulley Citizen science, also known as public volunteers assisting in scientific research, is open to anyone with a little time and interest in learning and participating in real-world scientific research projects. These programs, and there are many, help …
Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon Passiflora caerulea, a native of Brazil and Argentina, is a fast growing, semi-evergreen flowering vine that is quite cold hardy and will come back from the roots after hard freezes. If the showy, exotic flowers are cross-pollinated with another species or cultivar, blue passionflower vine will produce egg-shaped …
Story and Photos By Yvonne Lelong Bordelon Native swamp spider lily (Hymenocallis occidentalis) is a moisture-loving perennial plant that sports clusters of 6-8-inch, ghostly white, richly fragrant flowers. The gorgeous spring blooms also attract pollinators, including hummingbirds, and the plants are highly deer resistant. Who could ask for more? In the wild, this easy-to-grow member …
