World Bee Day is today, Wednesday May 20. To mark this, there is a webinar happening tonight on native bee ecology. More info is at the bottom of this post. And, I thought, today - World Bee Day - would be a good day to publish this post.
What did I learn?
I learned that in the wild areas, where the Camas meadows are in bloom, I saw many more bees than in manicured flower beds, even though the rhododendrons and azaleas are in full bloom with massive colourful displays. Of course this is purely anecdotal, no scientific study whatsoever.
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| Camas in the northern part of Beacon Hill Park |
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| Morning light on Camas south-facing slopes of Beacon Hill |
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| This meadow was alive with insects |
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| A bee alights on a Camas flower |
Some of the colourful flowers I saw in the ornamental beds of Beacon Hill Park did not have visible stamens, nor pollen....nothing to attract a bee or butterfly. Perhaps there were stamens deep in the flower. Apparently some ornamental flowers are bred so that they do not produce nectar.
We have lost so much native habitat, that butterflies and bees are in stress. There are other reasons, too, such as the profusion of insecticides.
I learned that Anglewinged Satyr butterfly, which used to be common in Victoria, is now rare here, because it is dependent on the native stinging nettle plant, and many nettles have been removed.
As gardeners, we can help encourage bees and butterflies by avoiding the use of insecticides, protecting native habitat, and growing pollinator plants in our gardens. The best options are native ones.
Select plants which blossom at different times during the growing season, so there is always something in bloom in your garden to provide food for bees and butterflies throughout their cycles. A booklet by Habitat Acquisition Trust gives some ideas for pollinator native plants for coastal gardens: http://hat.bc.ca/images/Pollinator-Guide-Web.pdf. And here's a publication from Saanich which focusses on butterflies and native plants:
http://www.saanichnativeplants.com/uploads/SNP_handout_Butterflies.pdf
Some of the plants listed for coastal gardens are also relevant for interior gardens. I have not been able to find an equivalent publication that lists good native pollinator plants for the interior.
Here are images of several pollinator plants; most of these will grow in both interior and coastal environments:
Another thing we can do for bees and butterflies is to avoid "cleaning" the garden in the fall. Leaf litter and other debris piles kept over winter provide good habitat for much wildlife.
For those people who are affected by pollen, the City of Victoria has a list of pollinator plants which are low in pollen. See
https://www.victoria.ca/assets/Departments/Parks~Rec~Culture/Parks/Documents/Growing~in~the~City/GITC%20Pollinator%20Allergy%20Friendly%20Gardening_DIGITAL.pdf
Native plants which are rated as having lower potential to cause allergic reactions to pollen from the City's list include:
There are also several non-native plants included on the list, such as Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (California Lilac).
I have found two pollinator gardens in the James Bay area. Both are full of colour right now.
So far I have talked about bees and butterflies, but birds too are often dependent on native species of trees, shrubs and other plants. As I have been walking around the tree-lined streets where I'm living, I often notice more birdsong and bird activity in native trees such as Douglas fir, or Garry Oak, compared with ornamental nursery trees.
The massive heron rookery in Beacon Hill Park is in Douglas fir trees. The video which follows captures the sounds of the chicks in the nests as of a few days ago.
And, to close - here is the information on the bee webinar:
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| Ornamental flower blooming in Beacon Hill Park. Note there is no visiblestamen or pollen. |
We tend to like our gardens manicured; yet, from the perspective of providing food for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, a manicured lawn, with few flowers, and no garden litter, is a "desert" (David Suzuki Foundation website). A naturalist book about Victoria described a clean tidy garden as a "death trap" for butterflies.
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| Long grass, Snowberry, Nootka Rose, and Garry Oak. The unkempt look is very appealing for birds and bees. |
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| Another example of nature's garden: Garry Oak meadow, Uplands Park |
I learned that Anglewinged Satyr butterfly, which used to be common in Victoria, is now rare here, because it is dependent on the native stinging nettle plant, and many nettles have been removed.
As gardeners, we can help encourage bees and butterflies by avoiding the use of insecticides, protecting native habitat, and growing pollinator plants in our gardens. The best options are native ones.
Select plants which blossom at different times during the growing season, so there is always something in bloom in your garden to provide food for bees and butterflies throughout their cycles. A booklet by Habitat Acquisition Trust gives some ideas for pollinator native plants for coastal gardens: http://hat.bc.ca/images/Pollinator-Guide-Web.pdf. And here's a publication from Saanich which focusses on butterflies and native plants:
http://www.saanichnativeplants.com/uploads/SNP_handout_Butterflies.pdf
Some of the plants listed for coastal gardens are also relevant for interior gardens. I have not been able to find an equivalent publication that lists good native pollinator plants for the interior.
Here are images of several pollinator plants; most of these will grow in both interior and coastal environments:
 |
| Examples of plants which attract pollinators like bees and butterflies |
Another thing we can do for bees and butterflies is to avoid "cleaning" the garden in the fall. Leaf litter and other debris piles kept over winter provide good habitat for much wildlife.
For those people who are affected by pollen, the City of Victoria has a list of pollinator plants which are low in pollen. See
https://www.victoria.ca/assets/Departments/Parks~Rec~Culture/Parks/Documents/Growing~in~the~City/GITC%20Pollinator%20Allergy%20Friendly%20Gardening_DIGITAL.pdf
Native plants which are rated as having lower potential to cause allergic reactions to pollen from the City's list include:
- Arctostaphylos uva ursi (Kinnikinnick)
- Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)
- Sedum spp. (Stonecrop) – native species available
- Mahonia aquifolium (Tall Oregon Grape)
- Allium spp. (Flowering Onion) – native species available
- Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry)
- Oxalis oregana (Wood Sorrel)
There are also several non-native plants included on the list, such as Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (California Lilac).
I have found two pollinator gardens in the James Bay area. Both are full of colour right now.
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| Pollinator garden, Montreal Street allotment garden |
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| Chives, thyme and other herbs at the James Bay New Horizons pollinator garden |
So far I have talked about bees and butterflies, but birds too are often dependent on native species of trees, shrubs and other plants. As I have been walking around the tree-lined streets where I'm living, I often notice more birdsong and bird activity in native trees such as Douglas fir, or Garry Oak, compared with ornamental nursery trees.
The massive heron rookery in Beacon Hill Park is in Douglas fir trees. The video which follows captures the sounds of the chicks in the nests as of a few days ago.
And, to close - here is the information on the bee webinar:
A webinar on native bee ecology will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 pm PDT with specialist Marike von Reeuwyk and Martine Clausen from the Native Bee Society. Here is the Facebook page, from which you can link to the Zoom webinar.
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