It is the end of June and there are still too few honey bees buzzing the garden. It is cause of for concern when female squash flowers with healthy ovaries fail to develop into mature squash. Going into the garden and looking at aborted baby fruit is discouraging to the gardener. And there is nothing that can be done by the gardener, except maybe to import honey bees. Honey bees transferring pollen from a male flower to the pistil of the female flower kick-starts the fertilization process. Without the pollination and subsequent fertilization event, female flowers fail to develop and abort.
What the gardener can do is to have a range of pollen sources in the garden to attract honey bees and other pollinators to the garden. Here are some ideas.
• Provide a season-long source of pollen sources. —Progression of flowering trees and shrubs. —Fruit trees: almond, apricot, peach, apple, quince. —Ornamental trees and shrubs. Flowering quince, Bradford pear, redbud, flowering crabapple, honey locust., Rose of Sharon, Soapberry, Vitex, Pussy willow, Ligustrum, Spirea, Viburnum, crape myrtle.
• Flowering bulbs and tubers. Crocus, daffodil, jonquil, hyacinth, tulips, Alliums, dahlia, peony.
• Flowering annuals. Alyssum, Ageratum, pansy, viola, cornflower, daisy, Rudbeckia, cosmos, calendula, marigold, petunia, salvia, zinnia, sunflower.
• Flowering perennials. Gaillardia, Daisy, Scabiosa, Rudbeckia, Artemisia, Verbena, Viola
• Vegetables and herbs. Artichokes, all Cucurbits; basil, dill, germander, mint, oregano, thyme.
Add color to the garden. Yellows and whites attract native bees, honey bees. Purples attract butterflies and bumble bees. Brightly colored reds and oranges attract butterflies.
Blossoms with wide petals provide landing spots for butterflies.
Provide sources of water for birds, butterflies, and bees. Shallow sources are better for pollinators as they cannot swim. If the water container is deep, add rocks or wood chips on which the bees can float while they get a drink. Birds enjoy deep bird baths as they jump in and give themselves baths.
Pesticides are the bane of a garden. Eliminate or be very judicious in their use in and around flowering plants.
Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers.
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