Take a walk and enjoy the beautiful South Carolina spring.
24.07.2023 - 11:59 / hgic.clemson.edu
During pollinator week (June 20 -24), I spent time hunting for native bees in the South Carolina Botanical Garden. Native bees are powerhouse pollinators and of critical importance to plant life and our food supply. Over 4000 species are native to North America, with perhaps a thousand active in the Southeast, still a rather daunting number! But you must begin somewhere, so I set out with my camera to see who was in the garden!
Identifying which bees were in the garden was a challenge. I already knew to differentiate carpenter bees from bumble bees by a shiny versus hairy abdomen, but which bumble bee was I seeing? And those medium-sized and tiny bees, who were they? Bee identification proves to be an immensely challenging quest! I used the iNaturalist app to help begin to identify the bees visiting our flowers and submitted questions to some Facebook bee groups, both with some success. Although I don’t have firm identifications for all my bee sightings, paying more attention gave me a huge appreciation for bee diversity. Here are some of the bees I found actively foraging in the South Carolina Botanical Garden.
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Take a walk and enjoy the beautiful South Carolina spring.
What’s blooming at the South Carolina Botanical Garden this week!
Late summer and fall perennial flower selections for South Carolina gardens.
“Spring in Nature’s way of saying Let’s Party” ~Robin Williams~
What’s blooming at the South Carolina Botanical Garden This Week.
A recent visit to Maplewood Gardens in East Flat Rock, NC where there is an incredible collection of Japanese maples. The Mr. Maple nursery specializes in these beautiful maples.
Fall is headed to South Carolina: A walk around Crooked Trail Farm this week.
Come for a fall stroll in the beautiful South Carolina Botanical Gardens and see what’s blooming this week.
Part 2: Art in the Garden-Add some interest to your landscape.
It’s camellia time at the South Carolina Botanical Garden!
Daffodils are in bloom all over South Carolina and spring is almost here! Daffodils and Narcissus are the same plant. Narcissus is the scientific name given to the genus of plants commonly called daffodils.
A winter’s day walk in the South Carolina Botanical Garden. Walk quietly and softly, and you’ll be amazed at what you see.