The Garden Buzz

Native Bee Challenge

Look for these distinctive and colorful native bee species the next time you're out in the garden!

Long Horned Bee

 

Mason Bee

 

Eastern Bumblebees

 

 

Green Sweat Bee

 

Sweat bee

Kitchen Garden Companions: Red Zinnias and Butter Beans

Be sure to visit The Garden Buzz Facebook page for more advice and adventures from my garden to yours! 

 

It sounds like the name of a cute cafe or perhaps a quaint kitchen shop but it happens to be one of my favorite combos from the kitchen garden this season:

One of my favorite vignettes in the kitchen garden this year, a combination of cauliflower 'Vitaverde' and red 'Moulin Rouge' zinnias planted through a row of butter beans in the spot where an earlier planting of peas had finished.
Bush type beans don't usually have a lot of visual pizazz but these are taller and have little pale yellow (butter yellow) blossoms held high on their stems. I even spied a hummingbird sipping on one. Yes, that is another name for Lima beans. I am hoping the tender young homegrown ones will live up to their buttery name.
I can't say enough about those red zinnias (available from Renee's Garden Seeds), don't be afraid of red flowers, they are such a cheerful addition to this edible landscape, and so, so popular with all of the pollinators.
The blue-green foliage of the cauliflower and then the chartreuse heads are an eye-pleasing treat as well. Next up roasted cauliflower!

Pollinator Friendly Plants: Anise Hyssop

 I can't say enough about anise hyssop. It's a carefree perennial with so many endearing characteristics. First and foremost it is beloved by so many pollinators; bees of all sorts, butterflies and hummingbirds — the holy trinity, the trifecta! Minutes ago when I took my camera to the garden I counted at least six monarchs on this single plant! Such a great source of nectar at this crucial time before they begin their arduous migration.

How many pollinators can you see?

Agastache foeniculum , not to be confused with other hyssops, is a stately plant that reaches 4 feet tall and around 3-4 feet in width. With pretty pale purple flower spikes and dark green slightly crinkled foliage it's an attractive candidate for the back of the border, herb garden, meadow or mixed native planting. Here in my Minnesota garden it blooms starting in late August, a welcome sight when other flowers are starting to fade. Anise hyssop is rarely bothered by pests, better yet deer find it unappealing.

Besides being ornamental, it qualifies as an herb, a plant for both "use and delight". The fragrant leaves make a lovely tisane (an herbal "tea") that smells of root beer or licorice depending upon your sniffer. Some folks use the leaves in jellies, the seeds in baked goods. The individual florets could adorn a salad.

Anise hyssop is easy to grow in zones 4-8, thriving in full sun and average, well-drained soil but adapting to dry soil or part shade if necessary. It may naturalize in places where it's happy, spreading by rhizome or self-seeding. Share with neighbors and friends if it gets too big.

 

Where Have You Been, Garden Buzz?

I can explain. For those of you who wonder what's happened to the somewhat timely postings of The Garden Buzz. No, I didn't get swallowed up in a garden sinkhole. Rather, remember how I wrote that book, the one on Pollinator Friendly Gardening? Well, being my first book, I really had no idea what occurs after the intense period of writing the actual book. I had thoughts of putting my feet up, perhaps letting out a long and well-deserved sigh. But no! Turns out there's more work once it's published, only different, and equally time consuming. 

You see, then you have to sell the book. Wait, isn't that what the bookstores do? Not really. Those books don't fly off the shelves by themselves. 

This is the point when I can say things like, "My publicist...". I know, how cool is that, I have a publicist. Who ever thought that would be the case? Ha!

The publicist's job is to put. you. out. there. She pitches and woos all the media to get your name and your book on everyone's mind. Boy did she! She made sure that people from Detroit to Seattle, Mississippi to New Jersey heard about my book. The book has been featured in big time magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, and Eating Well.

And she makes sure no moss grows under your feet or laptop. In response to all of the publicity needs I've been writing stories, presenting programs, giving interviews, guesting on radio shows and podcasts, hosting garden tours and more, all with the express purpose of publicizing "the book". 

It's the part where the introvert author is forced to put on her brave face for the public, after all that word is right there in the term publicity. Don't get me wrong I like people, but usually in small doses and on my own terms. It's not meant in any way to be misconstrued, but I do have a small bit of Sheldon Cooper about me. I wrestle with the opposing advice of "fake it until you make it" vs "be authentic". But once I do get in front of people I find I love sharing my message of gardening for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. It's mostly the thought of it that frightens me.

Since then I've found it fascinating to be on the other end of the interview. It's been an education about how other forms of media work, who knew you had to be on the phone, preferably a landline, at 6:18 am or 7:33am at that very moment ready to talk sense on live radio? It's been humbling hearing words of support and encouragement while signing books.

Lots of people ask how long it took to write the book. I don't know why, do they think the longer it took the better? Or maybe more likely they are just curious. However I tell them it was the culmination of long years of gardening experience and observation, loads of photography and then a very condensed and disciplined phase of "head down" work. I wrote the book in four and a half months from early fall through late winter with time off for holidays with my family. For two months I was down south for the winter alone, and towards the end I got a little wobbly. But I made my deadline three days early. At which point I rewarded myself with a walk on the beach and a shrimp basket from Gerald's at Tybee Island.

Every book is different and every writer's process is unique. Part of my job was to take somewhat foreboding scientific material and translate it into accessible information that would educate and inspire folks to make meaningful changes in the way they garden in order to welcome and sustain these vital creatures that perform pollination so crucial to our food systems. No small task.

 So here I am saying I hope to be more present in my blog. After all it was the leaping off point that provided me so many writing opportunities. In that regards I want to thank all the readers who've stuck with me through these years and welcome all those who are just joining in. Do checkout my Facebook page under the same name for the latest advice and adventures of The Garden Buzz.

Happy gardening!

---Rhonda

 

 

 

Spring Ephemerals: Now You See Them...

For more current advice and adventures be sure to check out my Facebook Page, The Garden Buzz

 

 

 

Don't blink. You might miss these great little plants. You may think daffodils herald the arrival of spring but these native bloomers know just when spring is really here. Look for it and others on the list to be the first to bloom as temperatures moderate and winter leaves for sure.

Bloodroot, a native ephemeral blooming in the woods

These early blooming plants are especially important for pollinators as they emerge in spring when many other food sources are scarce.

Consider planting one or more of these charmers:

• Bloodroot
• Dutchman's Breeches
• Trillium
• Trout Lily
• Hepatica
• Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Leave a comment and tell me about the ephemerals growing in your neck of the woods! I'd love to hear about them.

 

Five Great Books For Your Best Garden Yet

There is nothing more beautiful than the garden you envision on cold winter days. It is weed-free and without an aphid in sight. The flowers are petal-soft perfect and the foliage is lush. The sun is bright while a light breeze teases the leaves. And it only rains a gentle pitter-patter at night.

Lots of gardeners are getting out their seed packets and counting the days until spring, but chances are there are still plenty of cold days for planning and dreaming. Do you have new ideas for your garden this year? Perhaps you want to create a haven for wildlife, a small space for edibles or a sanctuary for your soul; maybe you just want to get a handle on what you’re already growing. Whatever your garden goals let me suggest five books to inspire your best garden for 2016.

Pollinator Friendly Gardening

My book is here at last!

Of course I have to mention my own first! Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies and Other Pollinators offers much to the gardener wishing to make meaningful changes, big or small, to welcome and support these vital creatures. After many years of adding and enhancing habitat value in my own gardens, I wanted to share my experiences with others in the hope of creating healthier and happier homes for both people and pollinators. The book includes design tips, pollinator life cycle and behaviors, plant lists, interviews with noted experts, gorgeous photos (my own) and more.

Learn about the needs of native bees

 

Find out how to grow a Bee Safe Yard

In depth advice on butterfly gardening

 More Books

The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion is a heartfelt ode to gardening’s role in recognizing and overcoming both the physical and emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis. Jenny Peterson’s adept storytelling talent provides a reassuring voice throughout while providing practical advice on gardening solutions that address the special needs of people in various stages of healing and recovery.

Noted green lifestyle expert Shawna Coronado comes through again with her book Grow A Living Wall: Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose. Many vertical garden concepts often seen on Pinterest show more style than substance without regard to proper plant choice, light and drainage. In her book however Shawna not only talks the talk but walks the walk, having built and tested many of these vertical creations in her own backyard. Let her take you through the steps in maximizing your growing space with vertical veggie gardens and more.

Ten years ago Fran Sorin published Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening. It is just as pertinent today in its revised edition. Long before the concept of mindfulness was bandied about she eloquently described the importance of remaining open to and connecting with nature in your garden. With tips and exercises she takes you through the process of finding your true garden style while finding serenity in the soil.

Finally, an oldie but goodie. For those wanting to understand the hows, whens and whys of pruning, deadheading, pinching and cutting back, there is The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust. Tracy’s methods and techniques for tending perennial flowers will give you a new and better understanding of their possibilities in your garden. This book will make you a more confident gardener.

Hummingbird Bait: Seeing Red in the Garden

Red roses, classic. Red geraniums, iconic.

 But that’s where it ends for many gardeners. Red in the garden can be considered old-fashioned or fuddy-duddy. It’s been poo-pooed as gauche or vulgar by refined plantspeople. Sure they’ll go for wine-stained coleus or Bonfire begonias. And folks get giddy over chocolate cosmos in shades of Marsala, the bloody-brown 2015 Pantone Color of the Year.

Chocolate Cosmos is a sophisticated shade of Marsala

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yet you might say pure red is the equivalent of a horticultural stop sign. But hey–ho, hummingbirds love red flowers! Relax!

I decided to test out a few fire-engine red flowers this season. I wanted to see if they did indeed draw in the hummingbirds as advertised. The results were mixed.

Petunia 'Exserta'

 

Petunia 'Exserta', a wild petunia from Brazil

A wild petunia from Brazil, it’s said to be the only petunia naturally pollinated by hummingbirds. Exserta is unusual with its reflexed petals and a distinctive yellow corona. Images of hummingbirds snarfing nectar from the matte red flowers abound. Alas, the bees loved it but I never saw a single hummer on the abundant blooms of this one in my garden. There’s no accounting for taste, no really, different birds in different regions do exhibit certain flower preferences. (Perhaps Exserta is too spicy for Minnesota birds…just kidding.) Annie’s Annuals was my original source but it has re-seeded so much that I might question the “rare” species designation.

 

Zinnia ‘Moulin Rouge Red’

 

Swallowtail on Moulin rouge zinnias

These heirloom cutting zinnias are over my head, literally, six feet tall and bursting with blooms. Singles, doubles, spoony-shaped petals and so on; it’s a mixed bag with full-on red as the common denominator. Popular with bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. In fact I witnessed a hummingbird harassing a Monarch while it foraged on one of the blooms. There were only about 20 more flowers available but the tiny bird wanted that one. Interesting to note that a nearby patch of Zinnia ‘Benary’s Purple’ was hardly touched by any of the large number of pollinators present in my garden. (Note: I received these seeds free from Renee’s Garden Seeds to test in my garden.)

 

Salvia coccinea, Texas Sage

 

Morning light on Texas sage

Dangerously similar to grandma-style red bedding salvias, it’s saving grace is a taller stem and looser blooms. Proving quite a hit with the bees, only a few hummingbirds were intrigued, in spite of being the perfect shape and color. It has self-seeded with abandoned and now pops up all over the kitchen garden. The other day the sun was rising low in the sky and focused a single beam on the sage plant. The little flared blooms seemed to catch fire. I ran to catch it but lost the light.

 In garden design red is a color that appears to recede, sometimes sucking the life from beds or borders. It needs a deft hand to make it work. In my garden I was lucky that the red blooms played well with the orange/gray/red stripes of my patio umbrella.

 Last thoughts: Yes, hummingbirds like red flowers. But while I was experimenting with these wild scarlet specimens, the hummingbirds in my garden were going gaga over a light pink/orange hyssop, Agastache ‘Summer Breeze’ (also from Annie’s), tropical bloodroot (technically half yellow-half red), Black and Blue Salvia and a white verbena. Go figure. The takeaway: Plant lots of flowers and observe the activity in your garden and those of your neighbors to find the perfect hummingbird bait.

Hummingbird browsing on Agastache 'Summer Breeze'.

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Happy National Pollinator Week and An Announcement!

Help Out the Honeybees (and a grad student)

Eight Great Pollinator Plants for Fall

You know the season is shifting from summer to fall as temps cool and leaves turn color, but did you know it's also a time of Nectar Flow? I use capital letters because this phenomenon is so important to pollinators as they get ready to hibernate or migrate. Simply put, nectar flow is when one or more major nectar sources are blooming.

And here in Minnesota it's a boom year for nectar flow. Chances are it may be in your area too. Abundant rain and moderate weather sees Minnesota and other surrounding states still green and growing even now at the end of September. This is great news for pollinators as they tank up to spend winter in hives and nests or starting lengthy journeys to overwintering sites. 

Not every year finds nectar flow plentiful. Drought, erratic weather, indiscriminate mowing, pesticide use and other issues can bring shortages of these vital plants. The more fall blooming flowers you plant the better chance pollinators survive and thrive into the next year.

Across much of the Midwest, native plants like asters and goldenrod account for much of the fall nectar flow. But there are other flowers you can plant to help. Use this forage map to see the best plants in your region for all seasons of nectar flow.

Learn more about what you can do to help pollinators in my book: Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies and Other Pollinators when it comes out February 1, 2016. Take advantage of the special pre-order price of $16.27 (reg. $21.99) on Amazon right now!

Here in my garden these eight showy perennials are the big players in pollinator support for fall:

A green sweat bee visiting purple asters.

 

Graceful arching blooms of Goldenrod 'Fireworks'

 

Heleniums like 'Mardi Gras' are a favorite for bees

 

Joe Pye Weed is popular with both bees and butterflies

Bees love to crawl into these turtlehead blooms seeking nectar

 

Bumblebees sharing gaillardia

Long blooming anise hyssop is popular with butterflies and bees

'Autumn Joy' sedum is a huge joy for bees

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Happy National Pollinator Week and An Announcement!

Help Out the Honeybees (and a grad student)

Happy National Pollinator Week and An Announcement!

There was a time when people would have said, "National What Week?". It's so great to see everyone finally getting on board for pollinators. President Obama has started the push for an initiative to plant millions of milkweed plants along the Monarch migration corridor. And now there's the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge sponsored by the National Gardening Bureau. Things are moving in the right direction.

I hope you'll be doing lots to sustain pollinators not only this week but from now on. For the past year I've been writing a book on this very topic. I've been planting for pollinators for many years now and I've gathered all that wisdom and passion into my first book, Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening For Bees, Butterflies and Other Pollinators. It comes out in February 2016 just in time for planning next year's garden with all sorts of great information and photos for creating a beautiful garden that welcomes and supports these vital creatures. I'll have more info about the book as the time draws near. I'll tell you though, it can't happen soon enough!

If you're busy with summer activities or perhaps overwhelmed with weeds, here's the three most important things to know in a nutshell about creating a garden that supports pollinators.

• Plant more flowers. They are the source of pollen and nectar that pollinators call food.
• Avoid pesticides. They kill more than just the pesky pests, pollinators become collateral victims.
• Support their reproductive cycles with bare dirt and deadfall wood for bee nesting, as well as larval host plants like milkweed for hungry caterpillars.

In the meantime join me on Twitter every Tuesday at 8pm CT for #pollin8rchat when I along with lots of knowledgeable and enthusiastic folks share our passion for pollinators and strive to answer everyone's questions on this urgent issue.

Happy gardening!

 

Help Out the Honeybees (and a grad student)

 Ever since the beginning... The Garden Buzz has been all about the bees, no trouble. Long before Whole Foods imagined marketing Pollinator-Friendly Almonds. Still it's great to see pollinators finally getting their moment in the press.

There has been a seismic shift in attitudes when it comes to gardening and insects. It wasn't long ago that the only mention of bugs in gardening info detailed methods of killing them. New generations will be surprised to learn there was a time when we didn't seek out ways to welcome pollinators and other beneficial insects to our gardens.

That's where Cory Wilcox comes in. Cory is a grad student in biology at Miami University in Ohio. She's been taking a class called "Biology in the Age of Technology" in which they look at the different types of technology available to address conservation issues. For the class she decided to look at threats to bees and ways citizen science can help overcome these problems. So already The Garden Buzz gives her a solid "A". Along with research and papers, her instructors required they share their findings on social media other than their personal pages. Apparently Cory has been a big fan of 'The Buzz for quite awhile and asked if I would post this fabulous infographic to fulfill this part of the class. No problem, Cory!

 

  

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Pollinator Friendly Plants: Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium)