THE HOT TOPIC AROUND THE OFFICE WATERCOOLER,

(Or is it the cell phone), has been about the birds and the bees.  Where are they?

A friend living in Remond noted fewer birds in their landscape this year.  Friends doing a river walk noted a lack of early bees and insects.  My landscape isn't as bird or insect active as past years.  Are we being impatient or is there a lack of pollinator plants that support the needs of insects and birds? Yes, is the answer to both questions.  Temperature wise, we are probably a month behind with early blooming pollinator plants.  Without blooming pollinator plants, insects have nothing to eat and if the insects aren't available, birds have nothing to eat.  

Last year my forsythia started blooming on March 21, this year it didn't start blooming until the third week of April.  A note for your wish list; look for early blooming trees or shrubs.

The Xerces Society has stated "Providing patches of flowers is one thing we can do to improve the environment for pollinators."  With that in mind, gardeners would not only be supporting pollinators, but with proper planning, would be able to build a food chain beneficial to insects and birds from spring through fall.  The following are lists of bee & butterfly plants you can easily grow from seed.  The benefit of early blooming could be one of the criteria when choosing new shrubs or trees.

Early-Blooming Pollinator Plants: (bloom time may differ depending on location)

Sweet Alyssum

     Baby Blue Eyes, Chives, Clover, Dianthus, Pea, Poppy, Sweet Alyssum, Viola

Mid-Season Pollinator Plants:

Gaillardia

     Black Eyed Susan, Blanket flower/Gaillardia, Borage, Calendula, Coneflower/Echinacea, Dill, Feverfew, Lovage, Monarda, Tickseed/Coreopsis

Late-Blooming Pollinator Plants:

     Agastache, Amaranth, Cleome, Marigold, Mexican Sunflower/Tithonia, Salvia, Scabiosa, Sunflower, Zinnia

The lists are shared as examples of easy to start seeds and are certainly not inclusive of all the possibilities of helping to provide a three-season food chain for pollinators and birds. 

A design tip to remember--the flowers should be in a 'patch' configuration rather than planted in a
single, long row.