Family Fun Creating a Bee-autiful Garden

Guest Blog by Jill Coons, GrowingGreat’s Director of Education

School’s out soon for GrowingGreat and summertime is the perfect time for children and their families to create a bee-autiful habitat for pollinators.  Families can plant a colorful garden with a variety of summertime blooms where pollinators feel welcome and satisfied while working to sustain plant life.  Soil, shovel, flowers and water are all you need!

Pollinators – bees, for example — are attracted to color, shape, and scent.  They move pollen from one flower to another as they fly about and land on different plants. Inviting the bee community into your garden container or garden bed is simple. Bees are attracted to tiny flower bundles in bright colors.  Summertime flowers such as yellow Marigolds and Daisies are fast-growing annuals that grow nicely anywhere. Bees do their work during daylight hours, so planting a variety of colors and scents will keep the bees busy pollinating throughout the sunny day.  In addition to creating an inviting garden for the bee community, it is also important to welcome the animal pollinators into the garden such as the Hummingbird.  Hummingbirds are attracted to the shape of the flower, specifically looking for tubular petals to accommodate their long beaks.  Flowers such as red and purple Salvia or Sage would be a nice addition to a garden full of Daisies and Marigolds.  We can’t forget the nighttime pollinators!  A nighttime pollinator such as a moth or bat is in search of strong-scented blooms that can be found after dark.  Summertime blooms such as White Jasmine and White Yarrow are perfect for these nighttime workers.