#pollinatorgardens

[usgsbiml]

Ironweed specialist.  Well at least the female is a specialist in that she feeds here babies the bright white pollen of this group of plants.  If you plant Ironweed in your garden Melissodes denticulatus will show up they are that common (ironweed is common too).  The male is distinctive because it has pale offwhite instead of yellow markings on its face and those markings  don't go all the way to the upper sutures of the clypeus.  ... but you knew that.  Photo by Erick Hernandez.

[katiezookat]

I've been impatiently waiting long enough - time to plant things!! * Planted Shasta Daisies, Cleome, Helichrysum, and Asters in the first photo, because hey, pretty flowers! * Planted a pack of "Flower Power for Pollinators" (Alfalfa, Blue Flax, Prairie Coneflower, Purple Prairie Clover, Black Oil Sunflower, and White Yarrow) in the second photo, courtesy of the Montana Pollinator Education Project! * Now let's just hope the Montana 'spring' is nice to my poor plants!! 😍😬🤞😊🌻🌼🌱 * #montanapollinatoreducationproject #alfalfa #blueflax #prairieconeflower #purpleprairieclover #sunflower #whiteyarrow #pollinatorgardens #cleome #shastadaisy #helichrysum #asterflowers #apartmentgardening #ilovegrowingthings #beesandbutterflies https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv2hPggnvjOgk2bj07GfS90-ZD9az0XbXAYjfI0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rve2l7dbjl18

[luckymortal]

Critters. Guests this season, including some biologists, have repeatedly told us they've never seen so much pollinator and butterfly activity as in our garden. Some of these plants are just alive with swirling fluttering critters. I visited a couple native gardens around town at peak activity time over the last few days and even on the very same plants, there was only around 10% of the activity. I'd guess there are a few reasons. one, integrated fruits and vegetables provide a lot of edible biomass. Two, inclusion of exotics means we have earlier and more consistent peak pollinator plants in our garden. Right now, all the busiest plants are exotics, mints, skirret, carrot and fennel doing the most business. Inclusion of water. High internal plant biodiversity with many plant roots sharing the same soil means high soil microdiversity, which builds up from that rich basic trophic layer. And of course, never any spraying, and no proximity to nasty agricultural spraying. And finally, lots of showy flowers all season long. All of this creates a pollinator paradise. #pollinatorgardens #permacultureforpollinators #BEES https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gXvRODg4s/?igshid=1qrxzua10fwvf

[luckymortal]

Critters. Guests this season, including some biologists, have repeatedly told us they've never seen so much pollinator and butterfly activity as in our garden. Some of these plants are just alive with swirling fluttering critters. I visited a couple native gardens around town at peak activity time over the last few days and even on the very same plants, there was only around 10% of the activity. I'd guess there are a few reasons. one, integrated fruits and vegetables provide a lot of edible biomass. Two, inclusion of exotics means we have earlier and more consistent peak pollinator plants in our garden. Right now, all the busiest plants are exotics, mints, skirret, carrot and fennel doing the most business. Inclusion of water. High internal plant biodiversity with many plant roots sharing the same soil means high soil microdiversity, which builds up from that rich basic trophic layer. And of course, never any spraying, and no proximity to nasty agricultural spraying. And finally, lots of showy flowers all season long. All of this creates a pollinator paradise. #pollinatorgardens #permacultureforpollinators #BEES https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gXvRODg4s/?igshid=1ujag6vik29j0