Garden Wisdom Blog — pollinators

With pollinator conservation in mind it’s a good idea to plant flower seeds for bees. But which are the best pollinator plants? Which bee flowers are the easiest to sow and grow? What flowers can be grown in containers or schoolyards to attract pollinators? Certain plants produce flowers that are really generous with nectar and pollen in order to ensure good pollination. The plants and the bees (and other insects) that pollinate them have evolved in harmony to form important relationships — one can’t survive without the other, but together they will thrive! So the first consideration is to think...

The wildflower seeds in our Knee High Meadow Blend produce a waist-high field of brilliantly coloured flowers that bloom over a very long period from spring to fall. This blend is best for areas that will be protected from foot traffic, and it will lure hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators to the area. Planted less densely, this blend works just as well in containers and raised beds. African Daisy (Dimorphoteca sinuata) Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila elegans) Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata) Blue Flax (Linum perenne) California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) Candytuft (Iberis umbellata) Catchfly (Silene armeria) Chinese Forget-Me-Not (Cynoglossum...

The Biodiversity Blend provides the widest, most diverse combination of flower types in any of our wildflower blends. There are flowers to tempt every sort of pollinator, but particularly butterflies, wild bees, and hummingbirds. Several species are included that produce edible seeds, so they will continue to nourish songbirds and other critters long after their colour has faded. This mix of perennials and self-sowing annuals is intended to demonstrate one of the foundations of organic growing — that biodiversity begets biodiversity. In diverse systems, plants grow healthier and wildlife is enriched. Basil Ocimum basilicum Bishops Flower Ammi majus Blue Lupin...

Although they arrived from Europe, they’re well at home now in BC’s Lower Mainland and many other regions. This lively beetle (Amphimallon majalis) has an annual life cycle that is worth understanding in an attempt to control it. The beetle spends its childhood and teen years as a grub in the soil, feeding on the roots of grasses, particularly in lawn areas. As an adult, it emerges, mates, and then lays the eggs for a new generation. In the larval stage, the chafer can cause some damage to lawns resulting in brown patches. But because they are so substantial, they...

Here is a blend of flowers native to eastern North America that are adapted to survive the sometimes shifting weather of the Maritimes, New England, and the St. Lawrence coast. This mix of fourteen showy plants is primarily composed of perennials, but includes the annual Gaillardia. It is sure to create a feast for the eyes and return for years to come. Here is the list of component species in our East Coast Wildflowers Blend: Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) Indian...