Planting a no-dig pollinator garden - a patch made in Heaven!
Welcome to our great adventure in creating a paradise for pollinators! Won't you join us?
We're not experts in gardening or insects, though one of us does have a certificate in Permaculture (thus, the no-dig design to our garden). But we are accessing a wealth of information from the internet and other sources as our road map, and delight in sharing that information with you!
This site is a work in progress. We have started putting in pollinator gardens of various sizes around two residences. We highlight here the "mini-meadow" that we've created, which at the time of developing this website, is just starting to sprout. Our Swamp Milkweed did not grow, and all of the plants at the shop where purchased died, but we are hoping a new batch is forthcoming. (Update: we bought two more mature Swamp Milkweed plants and they are thriving beautifully!)
As we add to the garden a few bee hotels and watering holes, we will provide additional photos and information. We are seriously considering beekeeping and raising Monarchs, but if we do not take that on, we will find someone who does to provide us with photos and instructions. We have also listed beekeeping and Monarch raising resources in our Useful Links and Resources section.
We will keep you posted as to the progress, victories and failures of our gardens on this page.
NOTE: The most popular flowers in our gardens with both bees and butterflies this year turned out to be Marigolds, Clover, Butterfly Bush, Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Hollyhock and Blackeyed Susans. These plants are very hearty and easy to cultivate - most grow wild. Unfortunately so many of the other flowers we planted didn't survive or thrive because of weather conditions.
Click on each photo in our gallery for comments and instructions on putting together your no-dig pollinator garden.
How to make a watering hole for bees and butterflies
It's easy!! Just take a deep dish or pan, fill with marbles or pebbles or both, and add water. Be sure not to overfill -- you don't want the lil guys to drown. Tops of the marbles should stick up out of the water so our winged friends have a place to land. Put the pan in a nice, shady place in close proximity to posies that pollinators love! We put ours directly under the butterfly bush, near the posie garden and not too far from our swamp milkweed.
How to make a bee hotel
We created resort accommodations for our little friends of the solitary wild variety, which include condos for the smaller and medium size visitors (reeds & tin cans) and deluxe digs for the larger bees (various size holes drilled into logs). We encased the cans and logs together in an old cage and sat it on a log in a shady spot near the waterhole and our assortment of dining facilities (wildflower garden, milkweed and butterfly bush). The wire fencing on the cage keeps birds and other predators from accessing larvae and any other little guests. We've noticed sawdust in our hotel, which means that the guests are already starting to make themselves at home! You can find other designs for bee hotels through the links on our Useful Links and Resources page. Click on the photos below for instructions.
How to make a rain barrel for your posies
Very easy!! Get a clean plastic barrel that hasn't contained anything toxic. Wash and rinse it out well. We painted ours green to go with the house. Drill holes for an overflow near the top, and for a faucet near the bottom. We also placed a faucet near the middle to make it easier to fill the watercan. We placed a hose in the overflow. At the top we used a reusable coffee filter, found at the grocery store, to catch any rubbish washed down the drain spout. And we add a tablespoon of cooking oil every now and then - this floats on top and keeps the skeeters from breeding.
So you want to be a beekeeper! Here's the buzz!
COMING SOON
Raising Monarchs (no, silly, not like William and Kate)
COMING SOON