Native Plants

There are two projects happening here in Campbellton that have me turning to the subject of native plants. When we are discussing native plants what we are referring to is plants that have evolved here, in North America, over many years.

These plants have adapted to environmental changes where they are growing and have been part of the evolving local ecosystem for many, many generations. These plants have adapted to the rainfall patterns; to the myriad of other creatures that have evolved with them, pollinating them, feeding on their nectar; to the area's soils and climate; to the whole web of connections that nature provides.

This is why native plants will require little attention from you, they are hardwired to thrive.

One project is Bee City Campbellton. The purposes of Bee City Campbellton is first: to encourage people not to use pesticides or purchase plants that have been treated with pesticides. The second purpose is to inform people about native plants that attract pollinators such as the honey bee, the bumblebee and the blue mason bee.

The second project is the Heritage Garden at the Galerie Restigouche. The Gallery will be planting, on June 11, a vegetable garden using seeds that would or could have been historically grown in this area.

If you are planning to create a native plant garden, you will need to know what plants are native to your region. I always recommend that people visit their local public library as the library can be a source of much information. If you have a native plant society or a naturalist society in town, then contact them.

There are some very sound reasons for selecting native plants for your garden, for me the environmental reasons carry the most weight but ease of care follows as a close second.

Environmental reasons:

The environmental reasons are strong motivators for selecting native plants, with a native plant garden you will:

·         increase biodiversity;

·         provide habitat for a wide variety of creatures such as birds and butterflies;

·         provide a home for many native plants that are becoming increasingly rare in the wild;

·         conserve water;

·         and eliminate the need for chemical inputs such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.

The other important reasons for using native plants are the practical and aesthetic benefits of native plant gardening: less work and lots of beauty!

Once you get started you will soon discover that native plant gardens almost look after themselves. Remember the plants look after themselves in Nature and do not have a gardener to feed and water them.

However, the best guarantee of gardening success is taking time to stroll through your garden. Enjoying the sights, sounds and smells, with an eye open to spotting the unusual, unexpected or unanticipated. This investment of time can head off possible plant catastrophes.

Next week, we will look at invasive species and the difference between plants that present a threat to the garden and ecosystem and those that enhance our gardening success. So, until next week, happy gardening.

Nature Working

Bees

I was leaving Sobeys the other day when a reader stopped me and asked if I would write a column about bees. I encourage my readers to make suggestions about the column so here it is, bees and what we can do to keep them buzzing.

Honey bees provide us with much more than honey.  The honey bee is a major pollinator of many of our food crops, almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, sunflowers, watermelon and many other crops all rely on honey bees.

When the honey bee is threatened, our food supply is threatened and we are also threatened. Fortunately, there are actions we can take to reduce the threat. One is to include in your home gardens plants that will attract and support the honey bee.

The second is to provide an environment for other bees so that our gardens do not rely solely on the honey bee.  The bumble bee and the blue orchard mason bee, among others, also provide pollination services. They do not produce honey.

The honey bee came to North America in the 17^th century. Some may have been intentionally brought over by people who intended to grow the fruit and vegetables they were familiar with in their new location.

Prior to the settlers’ arrival there were a number of bee species already here.  Some sources say there were as many as 4,000 native species spread across North America. Their source of nectar were the native plants.

If you are concerned about bees in general, then the best way to make sure they survive and thrive is to plant a mixed garden.

A mixed garden will contain plants that appeal to honey bees, bumble bees and other garden helpers.  The most effective way to create this mixed plant garden is to use succession planting. Succession planting involves selecting plants that will bloom throughout the gardening season.

To bring the bees in in the spring plant crocus, hyacinth, borage, and calendula.  To keep the bees happy through the summer, add bee balm, cosmos, coneflower, snapdragons foxglove, and hostas. Asters and sunflowers keep the bees feeding when fall arrives.

Plant the flowers in the vegetable garden bed either in the border or better place them amongst the vegetables. The early blooming flowers will bring in the first bees who are hungry and seeking sustenance.

Herbs are also powerful bee magnets. Chives, sage, thyme, borage and summer savoury are all good choices.  Borage with its bright blue flowers is a personal favourite.

Dandelions and clovers will also draw bees to the yard. Both are edible plants and this we will talk about another day. 

An added value of clovers and dandelions is there is no need to plant them in the garden bed. Most lawns will provide all of these two plants the bees need.

The first step to taking advantage of both clovers and dandelions is to stop thinking about them as the enemy and accept them for the many garden services they provide. So, until next week, happy gardening.

Bee City Campbellton

 Bees are pollinators, not the only ones, but the honey bee is most likely the best known. Bumble bees also help the plants they visit grow. You can see both honey and bumble bees going about their business in any thriving garden.

The City of Campbellton has recently undertaken a major step in recognizing the value of the bee and the services they provide us.

City Council has passed a resolution that names Campbellton a Bee City. By becoming a Bee City, we have agreed to join with other communities across Canada, to protect, promote and celebrate pollinators. The Galerie Restigouche Gallery is coordinating the Bee City efforts through this Facebook page.

Harvesting & Eating Dandelions

Here in Northen New Brunswick, a cold wind blows. Snow lies deep upon the garden but Spring is coming, yes it is. With the arrival of Spring comes dandelions, one of the first sources of nectar for bees and other pollinators. so do not fear dandelions but embrace them. Here is how.

More 

Plants For Bees

Succession planting involves selecting plants that will bloom throughout the gardening season.

To bring the bees in in the spring plant crocus, hyacinth, borage, and calendula.  To keep the bees happy through the summer, add bee balm, cosmos, coneflower, snapdragons foxglove, and hostas. Asters and sunflowers keep the bees feeding when fall arrives.

Summer's End Sunflowers

Community Garden; Bees and Sunflower

First Beans

They were a bit late but still delicious. I picked the first (12) beans this  morning from my community garden plot. Watered, onions and garlic coming along as are the sunflowers. I get asked why  I grow sunflowers and  I say, one I love how they look, two, the bees love them, and three for the seeds.

Happy gardening.

Birds, Bees, Butterflies

"Gardening is a peaceful and serene way to invest time, and makes an excellent avocation. Peaceful and serene, yes, but not lonely. When you are next out in the garden, any natural garden, take a moment to stop, look and listen. Pause, pay attention, observe, and you cannot help but notice the activity going on all around.

You will see bees and butterflies, hard at work moving from plant to plant. The birds will have flown away as you approach, but not far, they are waiting for you to depart to get back to work. "

 

This Friday (Feb 13) I begin a two part article on bringing birds, bees and butterflies into your garden. 

An Exercise in Imagination

Picture this, it is mid-summer, you are travelling around Campbellton NB, or were you live, and everywhere you look there are plants growing. Local parks have fruit trees and berry bushes, front and backyards are growing, vegetables, herbs and flowers. 

Even along the sidewalks there are pots filled with herbs. All vacant lots and spaces have been planted with bright, beautiful, bounty. 

There are butterflies floating from plant to plant, bees are buzzing and birds serenading you. the air is filled with a gentle but uplifting fragrance.

Bees At Work

Gardening for the Birds, Bees and Butterflies

The three Bs, birds, bees and butterflies are a gardener’s good friends. If you make a few wise plants choices, refrain from engaging in chemical warfare and understand that Nature will provide what you need, then you are well on your way to creating a great garden; one that will provide the fruits, herbs, flowers and vegetables you seek to grow.

The plant choices you make need to be those that provide for the needs of the beings you wish to attract to your garden. Herbs are a great place to start and can be incorporated into a garden bed or arranged throughout your design. 

Dill and mint, for example, will bring the butterflies to your garden. Be sure to consider the whole butterfly family and choose plants that provide a place for the butterflies to lay their eggs. If you also provide them with a drink of water, they will hang around.

Sunflowers will attract all three, bees and butterflies first and then as the seeds develop the birds will drop by for their snack.

There are two things that butterflies are seeking: one is nectar, the food that adult butterflies need, and the other, host plants, the place where the female will lay her eggs and the food that caterpillars need. Both are necessary to create a successful butterfly garden. 

Birds like seeds, nuts and berries so plants shrubs and native grasses to get their attention. Shrubs also provide them with shelter so they have a place to fly to when they feel the need, which can happen quite frequently in an urban backyard.

The plants you choose will do the job best when they are native to your area. The bees, birds and butterflies will recognize them and make a point to visit. 

I suggest that if you are just getting started then take a trip to your local public library or talk to a naturalist society and find out what birds and butterflies are native to where you live and the plants they demand. Butterflies, especially, can be very fussy about what they eat and where they lat their eggs so get that facts first, and then plant accordingly.

The three Bs, birds, bees and butterflies, provide the gardener with a number of services, pollination, pest control and beauty, for example. The plants required to make them feel at home in your garden are all plants that even the vegetable only gardener can appreciate.