After a weekend of ice, snow, wind and power outages (Ice Storm of 2025), it was wonderful to enjoy George Thomson and Elizabeth Churcher’s power point presentation, “Pollinator Power” at the April Meeting of the Tweed and District Horticultural Society. Through their presentation, members were able to learn about the many different plants that help pollinators in our gardens.
A pollinator is a living organism that carries pollen from the stamen (male flower part) to the stigma (female flower part). Pollen must move in order for the plant to different plants fertilized and produce fruit, flowers and seeds. Bees carry pollen back to their nests on their backs. They “buzz” pollen by moving their wings and this helps pollen to fall.
Pollinator gardens must be pesticide free and have blossoms throughout the spring, summer and fall. Some examples of pollinator plants…phlox, flax, lamium, butterfly bush, milkweed, blackeye Susan, obedient. And for wet areas, heliopsis, cardinal flower and blanket flower.
George and Elizabeth’s gardens reflect their desire to attract pollinators. In the herb garden, they have planted dill, lavender and sage to attract swallowtail butterflies and bumble bees. Broccoli will flower in the fall and the butterflies enjoy it until snow. Their property has orange hawk. prickly ash, sumac, high bush cranberry and lupins which are all wonderful pollinators.
Pollinator gardens do not have to be large…they can be established in any space. The secret is having the correct plants to attract the pollinators. Even a vegetable garden can attract pollinators. George and Elizabeth add zinnas to the edge of their vegetable gardens. Sunflowers are a great addition to vegetable gardens as they attract 73 different kinds of butterflies and moths. It was interesting to learn that the flowers on potatoes have no nectar but do have pollen…good idea to add potatoes to the veggie garden!
Suggested plants to attract pollinators…monarda, shasta daisy, lamb’s ears, liatris, gaillardia, tall coreopsis, sedum, hyssop, brown-eyed Susan, verbena, New England aster.
Native trees and shrubs…hackberry, chokeberry, blueberries, mountain ash, fruit bushes, serviceberry.
Non-native herbaceous plants…. hollyhock, tall phlox, oregano, chives, columbine, centaurea, sweet William.
Non-native trees and shrubs…. apple, flowering crab, willow, weigelia, Korean lilac, mulberry.
In conclusion, George and Elizabeth said they try their best to help nature and by doing this it gives them a personal feeling of self-fulfillment. And members now have a wealth of plants that can be added to their gardens for “Pollinator Power”!!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
May 6 @ 7 pm…Christine Reid-Gilbey, owner of Sun Worshipper Succulents in Belleville will talk about Air Plants. She will have plants for sale.
May 17…Plant Sale at Tweed Memorial Park