Monarda or Bee Balm Cultivars

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing, which seems like a good time to take the next step on our space adventure. You choose the topic of bees in space, so here we go!

Header image: *Psyche Delia*/Flickr, CC BY-NC

If there is one thing I am truly grateful for during this extraordinary time, it’s my garden. Not only is it producing harvests for us and reducing our reliance on our over-stressed food system, but it’s somewhere we can step outside and be surrounded by nature, without having to worry about social distancing. 

How will we pollinate plants in space? Join Emma the Space Gardener to discover why future space crops will need pollination, and how that might be achieved. And learn the history of bees in space, and whether our buzzy friends will be joining us on future space missions.

I wrote last month about my lack of gardening mojo, and it hasn’t come back. I don’t blame it, the weather has been dismal! Barely a whiff of sunshine. The news that a dry February is a harbinger of drought later this year sealed the deal for me; I’m not going to attempt a vegetable garden this year. I’ve planted the two beds of potatoes that I had chitting, and my pepper seedlings are coming along, but that’s it for annual vegetables. I’m turning over the other empty beds to flowers for the bees and other wildlife.

Eastern redbud is a popular landscaping tree for many reasons. It grows in a variety of conditions. It doesn’t grow too large. It’s a native species in many states. But, most importantly for many homeowners, redbuds produce a stunning display of early spring flowers. The popularity of the tree has led to the development of many eastern redbud cultivars with varied colors and forms.

geistreiches / Getty Images

Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp. and cvs., Zones 11–12) are evergreen perennials native to much of Central America and Southeast Asia. But their glossy leaves and tan, spiky flowers surrounded by white bracts have made them popular houseplants around the globe. Luckily, they are resilient and not too demanding. However, if you want to make your peace lily thrive and bloom, you should strive to meet all of its requirements. Providing your plant with what it needs will reward you with mesmerizing flowers and lush foliage.

Rumour that Bees are in terminal decline is not borne out in my garden this year. The Bees seem very happy on the blue flowers and I am happy as it gives me an excuse to show some more blue photographs (of flowers!).

What has got 6 legs, a head, 2 eyes and red wings and  is not a dice game of Beetle. It is the red lily beetle Lilioceris lilii that consumes large quantities of one of our favorite plants.

I used to think Beech trees grew on the beach but now I know a little better but not much. This is one of the UK’s most useful trees and deserves to be grown where ever space permits.

Carnations defy the single flower rule attracting as many insects as the dahlias, poppies and blackberries