The planting season has pretty much wound down for the year. Dormant bare root plants, trees and shrubs that have gone fully dormant, and perhaps some winter sown seeds are the main exceptions. However, for those of us in Kentucky, Tennessee, and the surrounding areas who have pollinator and wildlife gardens, our seasons aren’t quite done yet.
November Tasks for Pollinators and Wildlife Gardens
- Leave as many seed heads and other vegetation standing as possible. This will:
- provide valuable food and shelter throughout the winter for our songbirds.
- provide overwintering sites for insects developing inside of galls within the stems and other vegetation – many of our songbirds will raid those galls during the winter as an additional food source.
- provide places for butterfly chrysalises (often disguised as crumpled leaves) to develop.
- allow you to create better nesting sites for our solitary, stem nesting bees and wasps in the spring.
- For the vegetation that you can’t leave standing,
- leave 12-24 inches standing to serve as potential nesting sites for solitary, stem nesting bees and wasps in the spring. (Waiting until next spring to do this will provide better nesting sites, but sometimes we have to make compromises.)
- if possible, stand or loosely pile the vegetation that you cut nearby so that any insects or chrysalises associated with it still have a chance to develop.
- Leave as many of the leaves on your property as possible. Check out my latest Backyard Ecology blog article for a deeper discussion of why this is important and suggestions of some creative solutions for finding a balance if you can’t leave your leaves.
- If you don’t have a pair of binoculars and a good bird book, consider adding those items to your holiday wish list, so you can better enjoy the birds that feast upon your seed heads throughout the winter.
- If bush honeysuckle, wintercreeper, or English ivy are some of the invasive species on your property, then you can continue treating and removing them.
Upcoming deliveries
November marks the start of my winter deliveries. From now until April, I will be doing monthly pre-ordered deliveries to Bowling Green and Glasgow.
November Deliver Dates and Times:
- Glasgow
- Friday, November 12, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.
- Beaver Trail Park parking lot
- Bowling Green
- Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.
- Parking lot of the WKU Small Business Development Center (a.k.a. old mall)
This Month I Will Have:
- Honey from my bees in Barren County
- 13 oz glass jar for $15
- Harvested: July 2021
- Makes a great gift.
- Beeswax from my bees in Barren County
- 1 oz block for $3, tax included
- Gift certificates
- You choose the amount.
- No expiration date.
- Good for any of my products or services.
- Plants Honey Bees Use in the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys
- $32 tax included
- Let me know if you want your book signed
How to Order:
If you are interested in ordering anything, please contact me and let me know what you would like. The deadline to send in your orders is noon on Thursday, November 11.
Busy Bee Nursery and Consulting
Helping you create the pollinator and wildlife habitat of your dreams, so you can enjoy your land and care for the plants and animals that also call your property home.