Who Doesn’t Love Wasps?

Why don’t we like wasps? Is it because we think they’re mean and nasty? Well, these little sweeties are in my garden and they’ve never bothered me. They’re my buds; compadres; amigos. I’d like to introduce you to a few of them, that way you can be on a first name basis if you ever run into them at the supermarket.

What do wasps do? Well, they’re pollinators, they prey on and parasitize other insects that can be pests, and they’re a part of a functioning ecosystem. Here are but a few of them.

Great Golden Digger Wasp

(Sphex ichneumoneus)

Book Report – Pollinators of Native Plants

Time for another book report! This book is the first one I bought when I started gardening with native plants a few short years ago. I think it’s an amazingly helpful book, and bonus, I’ve even been able to meet the author once!

The book I’ll be covering today is Pollinators of Native Plants by Heather Holm.

I’m not exactly sure how I originally found out about this book, I might have seen it in one of my plant catalogs. Curious, I retrieved a copy from the library and began to peruse its pages. This was when my garden was a little smaller, and I was beginning to notice more bugs hanging out in it. “What is that bug?” I’d often wonder. Armed with this book, I could finally start putting names to faces.

Bee Rescue: 911

Bees in the Basement

It’s time for another installment in the award-winning, critically-acclaimed, much hyped and always typed series, Bee Rescue: 911. This will likely be the last entry in this series for a while, at least until winter is over. As always, the following is a dramatic recreation of actual events. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Book Report – Pollinator Conservation Handbook

Time for a book report. I’m calling this a book report instead of a book review because that sounds less pretentious. Book reports aren’t pretentious. It’s also a little more fun to call it a book report, like I’m in middle school or something.

There are a ton of great books out there to help you on your journey to gardening and conservation enlightenment. Personally, I like to preview books from my local library before deciding whether it deserves a permanent spot in my reference library.

The book I’d like to do my first book report on is Pollinator Conservation Handbook, by the Xerces Society.

Bee Rescue: 911

Beeware of Spiders

The following is a dramatic recreation of actual events. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Around September, an ever-expanding patch of sedum in the back of my garden begins to bloom. It’s a sad sign that summer is coming to a close, but I always look forward to it for the cloud of hungry pollinators it attracts. After a long day of work, I usually make a bee-line for the sedum to check out what the buzz is. Most often, there are some herds of chubby little bumblebees grazing on it. Occasionally, I’ll see some larger, winged visitors like a Painted Lady butterfly.

Bee Rescue: 911

Water Rescue

The following is a dramatic recreation of actual events. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

It was a normal Monday. A crisp, fall day in October. I had just returned home from work and was walking through my garden. There wouldn’t be many days left to enjoy it. Nearing my bird bath, I noticed a tiny commotion in the water. Trouble. Hearing the Baywatch theme song in my head, I leapt into action. A tiny bumblebee was flipped on its back, treading water, fighting for survival. No time to think, only react.

Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)

This is one of my favorite plants in my garden, partridge pea. It’s an annual, and it’s pretty easy to grow. It’s also a legume, meaning it will put some nitrogen in the soil.

Why?

Why?

Why should you care about this?

What’s the point? Does any of this matter? Is he going to stop asking rhetorical questions? Can he hear me? Hello?

Beginning

I purchased my first home just a few years ago, and a required feature of any home being considered was that it have a yard suitable for gardening. What’s suitable? Well, a good amount of sun, plenty of space, and no tombstones OR dead people buried there. It really ruins your day when you’re just trying to transplant some rhubarb and find a skull. Also, didn’t want a poltergeist situation.

You’re finally here.

Hello and welcome! My name is Matt, but you can call me Matt! This is my website devoted to my passion of gardening and nature.