Tag Archives: bees

Lots of Flowers and Food, No Lawn

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Lots of Flowers and Food, No Lawn

Lots of Flowers and Food, No Lawn

For this design, the client was ready to part with their lawn. In place of it we designed a garden with lots of flowers and food. They have a south facing front yard which is an ideal location for food producing perennial plants and a vegetable garden. The north facing back yard with mature tree canopy is the ideal location for a patio, fire pit, hammock and shade loving plants. The woody plantings are laid out on contour with infiltration swales to catch rain water. The tree species include Asian Persimmon, Sour Cherry, Asian Pear and Pawpaw. The property has a total of 18 Blueberry plants as well as Currants, Elderberry and Aronia. Herbaceous plants include Strawberry, Asparagus, Culinary herbs, dynamic accumulators, nitrogen fixers and numerous beneficial insect attracting plants.

Free e-book on apple pollinators

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Great resource on native wild bees that help pollinate apples (and other fruits, too, of course!!!).

From the Northeastern IPM center:

Insect pollination is a vital service for agricultural systems, and bees are the most important of all insect pollinators. In the United States alone, the value of pollination services by bees is estimated to be $18 billion, but these services are threatened, and finding alternatives is crucial for long-term pollination success. Eastern orchards have a unique opportunity to simultaneously conserve wild bee populations and to benefit from their contribution to fruit pollination.

This 12-page, full-color guide helps readers identify wild pollinators, provide them with food and habitat, and avoid pesticides that are toxic to them. By encouraging wild bee abundance and diversity, agricultural growers may be able to buffer rising honey bee rental costs while creating an environment that better supports both wild and commercial bees.

 

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