Our native and naturalized pollinators continue to be at risk. We can help

 

The first bees I saw this year arrived on a very warm day in late March. I was sitting outside contemplating all the cleanup that still needed doing when I spied a couple of honeybees at the snowdrops. Before long, one landed on my arm and proceeded to walk around, “tasting” me. Imagine a grubby gardener basking in the sun with the biggest grin on her face, and that was me. Since those early days, I’ve been blessed with all kinds of bees in the yard—enjoying the flowers, making nests, just “bee-ing.”

A huge part of the reason I garden is to help pollinators and other creatures—birds, mostly—but especially the myriad native bees, honeybees, bee flies and others that do important work pollinating food crops. Moreover, I don’t get stung as I go about my yard duties. It’s like the bees recognize that I am a friend, and of course I don’t swat at them—not even at the wasps that also help pollinate, but are sort of jerks. You are unlikely to be stung either, especially if you don’t swat at a curious bee—but if you are bee-nervous, plant your pollinator-attracting plants away from your deck or where you routinely enjoy sitting.

My fascination with pollinators is not an unusual one these days, as we’ve been deluged with information about the perils being faced by bees and their friends in recent years. Setting aside the troubles with honeybee husbandry, it’s our native pollinators that we ought to be most concerned about, because they share the load in helping to fertilize the crops we need, as well as plants we simply enjoy in the wild. Recent studies by researchers at the University of Maryland have confirmed that the more species there are in an ecosystem, the more native bee species are required for good pollination. Even more interesting, less common species of bees often visit less common plant species, suggesting if the pollinator is threatened, the species can be as well.

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Jacob Kline’ bee balm.

What does all this mean? As gardeners, we ought to try to make our gardens as friendly to native bees and related pollinators as we can. This doesn’t mean that we must plant only native species of perennials, shrubs and trees. I’m personally a fan of many native plants, but they have their problems and pests too, and aren’t the “bee-all” and end-all for the garden. A great many of the garden plants we grow in our region have their basis in native plants from all across North America, according to the famed plantsman Allan Armitage in his Armitage’s Native Plants for North American Gardens.
If it’s good enough for Armitage, that’s good enough for me.

Don’t take my word for it though—I consulted with some local nursery operators from around Nova Scotia (primarily because I haven’t been out of the province since COVID began), all of whom are big proponents of creating pollinator-friendly plantings in our gardens. Let’s see what they suggest as favourite plants for attracting bees and other beneficial creatures. (Please note: you can likely find their suggestions at your local garden centre, but it’s always nice to visit outside your neighbourhood, too.

Lloyd Mapplebeck operates Hillendale Perennials just outside Truro. As the business name suggests, he focuses on perennials, but also grows vast numbers of potted herbs and vegetables for local gardeners to jumpstart their own gardens, along with spring bulbs in bloom, dwarf sunflowers later in the season, and an immense selection of wreaths for the holiday season. Although retired as a plant science professor from the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus, he’s busier than ever and with his wife Lauranne, a lively and cheerful presence at the Truro Farmers Market.

Asked for three favourite bee-plants, he wanted to give me a list of ten, but he settled on ‘Jacob Kline’ red bee balm (Monarda), swamp or rosy milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and meadow sage (Salvia nemorosa, various varieties including ‘Caradona’). Lloyd says he has propagated much more milkweed this year, as he sold out early last year.

Incidentally, growers have also been affected by challenges due to the pandemic, in terms of getting supplies of cuttings, plugs and even seeds from elsewhere, so not every plant you look for may be available. Nursery operators can help suggest alternatives that also attract pollinators.

Rob Baldwin operates Baldwin Nurseries in Upper Falmouth, not far from Windsor at the edge of the Annapolis Valley. He and his partner Susan Lawrence had quite a discussion on favourite bee-friendly plants, with Rob opting to suggest favourite trees and Susan suggesting a few fantastic perennials.

The native Red maple (Acer rubrum) is an early blooming tree which bees are glad to see as they emerge from nests in spring, and it’s an excellent landscape tree; the linden (Tilia species) besots humans and pollinators alike when its sweetly scented flowers bloom in profusion in early summer; and who doesn’t love lilacs? The common French lilacs (Syringa) are most well-known, but there are newer, dwarf and reblooming varieties such as ‘Bloomerang Purple’ as well as the elegant Syringa reticulata ‘Ivory Silk’, the later-blooming tree lilac.

For perennials, the early spring lungworts (Pulmonaria) are as vital and welcome to pollinators as are the crocus (and the dandelions); echinaceas of all kinds are bee-magnets through the summer; and tall asters are spectacular to our eyes and beloved by bees in late summer.

Alice d’Entremont operates Ouest-Ville Perennials in West Pubnico, where she grows not only perennials but annuals, herbs, veggie transplants and some shrubs, as well as having a thriving garden shop. There was no way Alice could keep her list to only three, and she started out with Eupatorium, the stately, native Joe-Pye plant which blooms in mid-late summer. She also recommends Echinops (globe thistles) with their elegant blue globe-shaped heads of bee-magnet flowers; speedwells (Veronica, various species) with their spikey flowerheads in white, blue purple and hot pink; both hardy and annual lavender (Lavendula) species; and of course, the milkweeds mentioned above.

If you love tall annuals that are both bee and butterfly magnets, Alice recommends you add some Verbena bonariensis (vervain) to your garden plantings—these bloom from midsummer until a hard frost and their petite magenta flowers are usually covered with various pollinator species.

On the edge of the Annapolis Basin in Upper Clements is Bunchberry Nurseries, the brainchild of owner- operator Jill Covill. For more than s25 years, the nursery has been expanding, and while Jill offers a variety of native plants, she also has a terrific selection of ornamental trees, particularly Japanese maples, dogwoods and magnolias; a perennial section that highlights many superb pollinator plants; and, for the indoor gardening enthusiast, a great selection of succulents and tropical houseplants.

She’s also well-known for her collections of heaths and heathers, and the spring-flowering heaths (Erica species) are among her favourites to recommend because they are very important to pollinators. She loves the so-called blue spirea or bluebeard, (Caryopteris species) a lesser-known shrub with lavender-blue flowers that is always buzzing with pollinators, and, for a final choice, she recommends the Seven-Son tree, Heptacodium micanoides. This latter makes a large shrub or small to medium tree, flowers in late summer with fragrant white blooms—at a time when pollinators are gathering extra nutrients to get them through overwintering—which then drop off to reveal brilliant rosy-red bracts that provide excellent fall interest. In the nursery’s perennial section, there are always plenty of pollinators hanging out on the betonys (Stachys), calico asters, astilbes and blanketflowers (Gaillardia), to mention only a few.

So here, dear gardeners, are a few plants to inspire your pollinator garden plans! Along with those, I offer up a few of my favourites: masterwort or starflower, Astrantia; the false indigos (Baptisia, many varieties); cranesbills (hardy Geranium species); mulleins (Verbascum) as well as the tall, elegant late summer show-offs New York Ironweed (Vernonia) and Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ perennial sunflower.

Oh, and of course, annual sunflowers. Let’s all have plenty of those, this year and every year.

 

Further help for pollinators

A few reminders to help our bees and other beneficials.

Don’t use pesticides—even so-called organic ones can be detrimental

Plant a variety of bee-friendly plants to bloom from early spring to a hard frost

Consider siting a bee-planting out of the wind, in full sun

Add clover to lawn seeding—not only will it benefit pollinators, it’ll help the lawn

Plant similar varieties in clusters or drifts, such as five coneflowers, to help create a bigger attraction

Avoid garden cleanup of perennial stems etc until spring. Some pollinators overwinter in stems and under spent leaves.