Pollinator Week

National Pollinator Week is June 22nd–28th—a great time to celebrate and raise awareness about the thousands of species of pollinators that visit flowers, fruits, and vegetables to put food on our tables! During these uncertain times, our garden has become our reprieve, a respite and a place to recharge. In the past years since I've planted our pollinator garden, we've shared our days with the buzzing of our sweet bees especially during this time of year. There are over 4,000 very diverse species of bees in North America. Some bees are generalists, like the European honeybee, collecting pollen from a number of various plants, while other bees are specialists, like squash bees that pollinate specific plants-squash and pumpkins. They are our hard working fuzzy heroes that pollinate our food. A well-placed shallow water dish with rocks placed in it for landing on provides needed water for busy, thirsty bees (and butterflies), keeping them in the garden longer. Growing flowering plants that bloom from early spring to frost gives bees year-round food in the form of pollen and nectar. Your space doesn't have to be large; a container on a patio or a window box can still attract a plethora of pollinators. Bee population decline is a serious issue that we can all help to remedy by providing food, water, and habitat.