That tiny anthill you noticed may actually be the entrance to a ground-nesting bee family. A single female bee excavates a ground nest by using her saliva and tough mandibles to break up and move soil.
Many home gardeners put much effort into attracting bees to their summer flower and vegetable gardens. But it's just as important to be bee-friendly in the fall and winter. Here's how to do it.
Want to entice more bees to your vegetable garden? Plant mustard. Bees absolutely love mustard flowers! The pretty, bright yellow flowers produce an abundance of both pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators.
Candy Solovjovs |
Aug 2020 |
Article
Photo: Oregon State University (Cropped from original)
Poison oak plants contain a chemical that causes a severe rash. Learn how to spot a plant, safely remove, and clean your clothes, gear and skin afterward to prevent a rash.
The category of Old Roses remains one of the most misunderstood and confusing. Nurseries may call a plant an "antique rose" or an "old garden rose," but the rose may not truly be an Old Garden Rose.
Barbara McMullen |
May 2007 |
Article
Photo: Rebecca Utrup Marcotte (Cropped from original)
Extreme summer heat can pose a danger to bees. Although bees have ways to keep cool, many gardeners put out shallow trays of water and pebbles to help them. Does that help? Here's what the science says.
Forage quality of common pasture weeds was determined through laboratory testing to compare feed value of weeds to desirable forage species and nutrient requirements for grazing livestock.
Shelby Filley, Andy Hulting, Amy Peters |
May 2010 |
Article
Bee gardens involve matching plants that bloom at different times, to bees that emerge at different times. And not all bee species go to all flowers. In this episode we hear about how all these factors come together in Portland gardens.