Gardening for Pollinators and Wildlife – May 10, 2022

Table of Contents

• Shannon’s Note
• Nursery Update
• Announcement for First Open House of the Season
  • Available Items
  • Schedule Your Appointment
• May Tasks When Gardening for Pollinators and Wildlife
• Backyard Ecology Resources
• Subscribe to Newsletter

Shannon’s Note

Records from the National Weather Service indicate there is less than a 10% chance of a late spring frost after May 4 around Bowling Green, KY. Even without looking at the meteorological data, I could tell you just by looking at the plants and listening to the birds that the weather has finally stabilized. Everything is bright green and the number of birds I hear singing during the dawn chorus every morning continues to grow. I even heard my first chuck-will’s-widow of the season last night.

Oh, and I’ve started posting native plant spotlights 3 times per week on the Busy Bee Nursery and Consulting Facebook page. If you’re on Facebook, please like and follow our Facebook page to see the native plant spotlights. Also, please let your friends know about Busy Bee Nursery and Consulting. Thanks.

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Nursery Updates

Wow! What a difference a couple of weeks make! Several species of plants have nearly doubled in size over the last few weeks. In the case of the jewelweed, I’d say they have quadrupled in size. The coreopsis are about to start blooming and I have multiple purple coneflowers which will definitely bloom later this year.

We can’t wait for our first open house of the season, which will be on Saturday, May 21. For the open house, we’ll have 4 new species available – sweet goldenrod / anise-scented goldenrod, white prairie clover, little bluestem, and obedient plant. This will be our first time ever offering the little bluestem and obedient plant.

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Open House

Mark your calendars for May 21, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. That’s when we will be hosting our first open house of the season.

Since we have limited parking space, we are making this a “by appointment” event. Each appointment will be for a 30-minute slot which will also give you lots of one-on-one time to ask any questions you may have about the plants or which ones may work best in your garden. I will send you our address after you schedule your appointment.

I will be able to take cash, check, card, or Paypal at the open house. We will also accept pre-orders for the open house if you want to make sure we don’t sell out of something before your appointment.

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Available Items:

Books, Gift Certificates, and Honey

Native Wildflowers for Pollinators and Wildlife (Click on a thumbnail for detailed information about that plant.)

Native Grasses for Pollinators and Wildlife (Click on a thumbnail for detailed information about that plant.)

Native Shrubs and Trees for Pollinators and Wildlife (Click on a thumbnail for detailed information about that plant.)

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Schedule Your Appointment:

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May Tasks When Gardening for Pollinators and Wildlife

• All container grown native plants can go in the ground now.
• If you haven’t cut back the flower stalks and other vegetation in your gardens, then it is now safe to do so.
  • Leave approximately 1-2 feet standing for the stem-nesting bees to use.
• If you are having trouble with carpenter bees, then paint or stain any exposed wood then place a piece of plain, untreated pine lumber nearby.
  • The bees will choose the soft, untreated lumber over the freshly painted or stained wood.
• If you are planning to use solarization to kill existing vegetation in order to put in a new garden spot, then now is the time to start the process.
• It’s always a good time to kill invasive species.
  • Stilt grass (Microstegium sp.) can be easily pulled in garden beds.
  • If you are using herbicides, be sure to read and follow the label.

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Backyard Ecology Resources

Understanding a Common Saying When Growing Native Plants

Gardening with Native Plants

Growing Native Plants in Small Yards

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