Decorating Tips from Bees

Busy, buzzing pollinators bees are a gardeners best friend. Favorite fruits and vegetables would not grace our plates if it weren't for these flying friends. Well, now these little critters have gone a step further: home decorating. You've heard of The Not So Big House? Well, welcome to the bee's version! Using flower petals to make some of the prettiest little nests a garden fairy could ask for, this particular bee makes a number of these in close proximity and snuggles a single egg inside each one.

Inspired? Well, next to the row planted for the hungry add one specifically for the bees! By planting a row of flowers or setting up a section of native plants not only will pollinators be attracted to your garden, but those tiny immune systems will get a healthy boost in the battle against Colony Collapse Disorder. Get buzzzy!

More Ideas for Bringing in the Beneficials

National Gardening Association ran this nice article on attracting beneficials in a recent e-newsletter, and it is well worth sharing. The only thing to keep in mind while perusing the list is that some ornamental grasses, flowers, and herbs can be quite invasive. (Think of the mint or Bishop's Mantle marching undaunted through garden beds and yards and stopping only short of the living room door, and you'll get the idea.) 

One thought for those that could be invasive - either because of seeds literally being thrown to the wind or burrowing rhizomes or both - is to perhaps look for a native species that is similar or put that mint in a pot. Things like garlic mustard wreak havoc everywhere, and there are some good local efforts to eradicate it. If perennial plants are not an option, a good annual can do quite a bit to help out. (Alyssum is mentioned in the article, and it is well worth it as an attractor, a dense ground cover or living mulch, and a darn pretty plant, too.)

(And you're right if you seem to recall that we've mentioned this before. Like a good pile of compost, attracting and supporting beneficials - like bees - is pivotal to the success of any garden and especially to an organic one.)

Kitchen Garden Tips

Starting a garden can feel like quite a daunting task - where to put it, how to build it, what to grow, and how much work it might be - that even the thought of all those great vegetables can pale in comparison. To help alleviate some of that concern, we've put together a list of helpful tools and resources that will get you through the process and on the way to those great fresh vegetables and herbs for your summer table.

• Start with this nice little article from Regional Gardening News about planning a kitchen garden. The piece helps define kitchen gardens, and offers some good tips to organize your thoughts about the garden - everything from locating it to what to grow - in preparation for the upcoming season.

• Give some serious thought to lasagne gardening. Lasagne gardening uses layers of organic materials that let you take advantage of the soil structure already in your yard. It's also an excellent way to build raised beds without having to do lots of digging. It is ideal to install your lasagne garden in the fall so the materials break down over the course of the winter to some of the most beautiful soil ever come Spring; however, you can plant seedlings directly if you decide to go for it now.

• Make a list of things you like to eat - tomatoes, greens, radishes, beets, sweet peppers, hot peppers, basil, cilantro, potatoes, sweet corn, popcorn, peas, beans - and see what of that is feasible to grow in your space. You can use some handy electronic garden mapping tools to see how the garden might shape up and be organized, or you also consider succession planting. This allows you to put something else in the space recently vacated by the radishes you just pulled, washed, and ate for lunch. Or for the peas that died back once the weather got too warm.

• Remember the garden can (and probably should) contain some flowers. Flowers, like cosmos and zinnias, make not only terrific bouquets all summer long, but also attract pollinators and house predators that will help control unwanted critters. And flowers like violas (a.k.a. Johnny-Jump-Ups), nasturtiums, and calendula are edible, too. Toss them in with your assortment of homegrown lettuces and arugula, and you've got one of the prettiest dishes going.

• Companion planting can be part of your kitchen garden, too. Many flowers and herbs, as mentioned above, attract pollinators as well as house predators, but they also can repel some bad guys. Marigolds help defer some unwanted vistors by their strong smell, as do onions and garlic. A great book to help you start thinking about this concept is Great Garden Companions by Sally Jean Cunningham.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember as you begin thinking about your garden is to enjoy it. Grow things you like to eat in a space you feel is manageable for a first time and for your schedule. Then, at the end of the season, you can join the legions of gardeners plotting ever larger and larger spaces with a greater variety of plants for the next season! You'll love it.

USDA Imitates Project Grow

Thankfully, the USDA, like Project Grow, is creating garden space where none existed before. On the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture "broke pavement" on the first of many community gardens at  USDA sites around the country. 

The People's Garden honors Lincoln and his creation of the Department of Agriculture, which he called The People's Department in his last address to Congress. 

"The garden will showcase conservation practices that all Americans can implement in their own backyards and green spaces. As a component of the garden, pollinator-friendly plantings will not only provide important habitat for bees and butterflies, but can serve as an educational opportunity to help people understand the vital role pollinators play in our food, forage and all agriculture."

To find a garden space near you, check out the assortment of Project Grow Gardens around town and put your own signature on a pollinator friendly space!

And we've got some great upcoming classes to keep the momentum going!

Introduction to Organic Gardening

Thursday, February 26th

6:30pm

Washtenaw Community College

(Part of the Organic Gardening Certification Course. You can take classes singly, if you like.)

Container Gardening and Raised Beds - From Vegetables to Flowers

Saturday, February 28th

10 am 

Leslie Science Center

(Just in case you don't have quite as much room as the USDA does.)

Bees Help Foil the Caterpillar Buffet

A recent study shows that honeybees not only pollinate but also help protect plants from hungry caterpillars. Caterpillars detect the bees, stop munching or simply panic and drop from the plant, which also means they stop munching on your tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, etc.

Good plants to attract pollinators abound and range from the annual alyssum to perennial natives like Bee Balm. If space in the garden is tight, try containers for natives and annuals, or create a specific bed for them.

For other ideas and to learn more about attracting pollinators and other beneficials here are a few handy resources to get you going:

Enhancing Beneficial Insects with Native Plants - An MSU study outlining a recent study using native plants for more sustainable agriculture. It includes a great list of plants and their ratings in terms of pollinator attractiveness.

Great Garden Companions by Sally Jean Cunningham, Rodale Press, 2000 - An absolutely terrific book for learning and thinking about organizing your garden to attract beneficial insects. Includes lists of plants, design ideas, and terrific diagrams.

Introduction to Beekeeping - An upcoming Project Grow class on Saturday, March 14th that offers the full scoop on housing those little fuzzy buzzers yourself.

Landscaping with Native Plants - Learn how to incorporate native plants into your current landscape and garden in this Project Grow class that is also part of the Organic Gardening Certification course.