Plant It and They Will Come

 

In a previous blog I talked about the lack of pollination and the effects it had on my cucumber and squash harvest last spring. That was the bad news, and now for something uplifting and positive. 

As I mentioned earlier many gardeners are under the false impression that there are only two ways to pollinate your plants. That is either by honey bees or by hand. Although the honey bee pollinates approximately 80% of plants beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, various species of birds even moths can get the job done. 

My goal is to create an environment that will attract all of the above but mostly bees and birds. 

Different birds and bees are attracted to certain colors. There are more than a quarter of a million seeds in these packets combined. Over 120,000 just in the large package in the center. I may not use all of these at once but as you have probably guessed I caught a sale on each of these so I may end up freezing some for next year.  

As part of my Plant it and they will come strategy I will also be introducing two water features, a birdbath and a fountain. According to my research water in general and especially the sound of running water attracts birds. I am currently on the fence about adding bird houses in part because one of my projects this summer will be to grow gourds that I can make into free birdhouses next spring. 

According to the Audubon Society, hummingbirds visit 1,000 to 2,000 flowers per day. That's a lot of flower pollination happening! I would say that makes hummingbirds important pollinators indeed! In comparison, bees visit about 1,000 flowers per day.Apr 1, 2022

The last part of my plan is to add fragrant flowers. Bees are drawn in by scented herbs and flowers like lavender, chamomile, rosemary, sage, thyme and basil. 

I am very excited about this spring and summer season. Now it's time to turn this vision onto reality.  

The Frugal Gardener on You Tube