IN A RECENT phone call, Tim Johnson used the phrase “bio-productive gardens,” and it stopped me.
14.03.2024 - 17:01 / gardengatemagazine.com
Native Bees Overwinter in Unexpected Places Despite appearances, the bees never really left us. While we snuggle under blankets indoors, native bees hide under leafy covers of their own as they overwinter until spring. Where do native bees overwinter?
As the buzz of busy bees gave way to the rustle of fallen leaves in my autumn garden, the last of the bumblebee stragglers hit up fading mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) blooms. Day by day, fewer sparkly green sweat bees and dwarf carpenter bees nectared on the asters (Symphyotrichum spp. and hybrids), eventually vanishing along with the fluffy field thistle (Cirsium spp.) seeds. Despite appearances, the bees never really left us. While we snuggle under blankets indoors, bees of many shapes and sizes hide under leafy covers of their own. Seventy percent of the nearly 4,000 native bee species in North America build nests on or below the surface, and many of their progeny spend winter ensconced in soil, emerging as adult bees just in time to catch favorite blooms. The rest are cavity nesters, spending winter in logs, broken wildflower stalks and twigs of shrubs like elderberry (Sambucus spp. and hybrids) and roses (Rosa spp. and hybrids).
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Though domesticated honeybees have captured our cultural imagination since their introduction by colonists centuries ago, their highly managed, social lifestyles are nothing like those of native bees. Most bees in the wild are solitary, building nests by themselves and laying a small number of eggs. You don’t need a beekeeper’s suit to be near these important pollinators
IN A RECENT phone call, Tim Johnson used the phrase “bio-productive gardens,” and it stopped me.
If you have a pile of cardboard boxes sitting around your home and aren't quite sure what to do with them, consider reusing them to create home decor accents or a playhouse for your kids or pets. With a sturdy structure thanks to an inner layer of fluted material, a cardboard box can often be useful a second or even a third time.
Many children in my programs at the South Carolina Botanical Garden know an enormous amount about non-native honeybees. However, they are astonished to discover the vast diversity of native bees and their immense importance and efficiency as pollinators. In the United States, there are over 4000 native bee species. They range in size from the tiniest fairy bees (Perdita spp.) (found out west) to the giant carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.). Here are some suggestions to increase children’s (and your) knowledge about our local native bees.
Vines are a great way to add vertical interest to your ornamental flower beds, and native vines have the added benefit of supporting native insects. It sounds like a win-win, but vines can also be troublesome if planted in the wrong spot. The following four vining plants are native to the Southeast and thrive in a garden setting; plant them responsibly so they can be enjoyed for years to come.
Reports show that the population of bees has continued to fall, putting food security at risk as they play a crucial role in pollination. The fast population decline can be attributed to the continued use of agricultural chemicals, climate change, and other factors such as urban development.
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Viral trends in 2024 have seen everything from quiet luxury aesthetics to rants on the true meaning of bookshelf wealth—now, there’s a new viral design theory that’s on the rise.
If you’re looking for a light-hearted giggle, make a beeline for this hive of bee puns and bee jokes!
Early in the fall, I was delighted to find this fallen redbud leaf with this unusual, sculpted edge. This leaf is evidence of bee activity much earlier in the year. This is the work of female leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.) who cut out leaf semi-circles with their strong mandibles. Each leaf piece becomes a nursery for a single egg provisioned with a pollen loaf. Leafcutter bees often nest in hollow stems and other cavities, sometimes in the ground. Unlike other bees who store pollen on their legs, leafcutter bees carry it on the undersides of their abdomens. These are solitary bees, so each nest is typically individually situated, and the bees are generally gentle and non-aggressive.
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!
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.