Connecticut gardens are bursting with flowers! From the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington to the Hollister House in Washington we are enjoying the height of the summer season. Honeybees and bumblebees are feasting on pollen and nectar, as are many varieties of butterflies including Yellow Swallowtail, Monarch, and Fritillaries.
Several times each month, from spring to fall, I join other master gardeners in maintaining the Hill-Stead pollinator garden. The pollinator garden is full of insect, butterfly, moth and hummingbird-friendly plants, a majority of which are native to Connecticut.These creatures are pollinators. Nature depends on these creatures for the pollination of flowers and the genetic diversity in seeds.
Having native plants in our environment is important to the survival of native insects. They evolved together over time, each providing benefit to the other. Flowers provide nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein) to the insects and the insects pollinate the plants for seed production.
I hope you can spend time in a garden or park this month. You could walk or picnic, or just sit and observe.
