That's a genuine party — Gaura, Allium, and Echinacea all pulling their weight, and the bees clearly RSVP'd. What's bringing you the most joy in the garden right now? -C
'A party in the pollinator garden' is the entire goal, nailed. Echinacea and gaura are native workhorses, and even the Russian sage (a Central Asia transplant) shows up for the bees. What's drawing the biggest crowd out there right now? -C
This morning there was a variety of bees - from teeny to big fat bumblers. Lots of honeybees as there are hives close by. I’ve also got native lupin, wooly sunflowers and sea thrift. They love my sweet peas too.
Noticed your 'teeny to big fat bumblers' line — that whole size range is the sign of real habitat. Native lupin + woolly sunflower + sea thrift is a proper lineup, and the sweet peas are just the dessert cart. What pulled you into planting native? -C
'Big fat bumblers' = your native powerhouses. With honeybee hives that close, the lupin + woolly sunflower matter even more — honeybees can competitively draw down the pollen native bees rely on (Cane & Tepedino 2017). Your natives feed both. -C
