Excessive heat can certainly make it hard for me to work in the garden. It can also affect how your vegetables work.
For most plants ideal growing temperatures range from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius (C). When temperatures are above 32 degrees C for long periods of time plant growth is slowed and some plants will begin to show stress. This link describes a number of heat-related issues and some solutions.
A neighbour and new gardener commented that he wasn’t getting any fruit forming on his only squash plant and wondered if he had a plant with only female or male flowers. I reassured him that squash plants and other cucurbit vegetables like cucumber and zucchini all produced male and female flowers on the same plant.
While this is true, apparently daytime temperatures of 32 degrees C and up and night time temperatures of over 21 degrees C can change the ratio of male to female flowers to more male than female flowers. These same temperatures can also cause flowers and small fruit to drop. Too much or too little water can also cause flowers and fruit to drop.
Watering may be within our control but temperatures may not be! There are varieties that are touted to be heat tolerant and could be a good option for our increasingly hot summers.
Another cause of no fruit or deformed fruit is poor pollination. Apparently, many bees don’t like to work when it’s hot. Temperatures over 32 degrees C causes many bees to slow down and pollinate less.
Tomatoes may also be affected by very hot weather. During hot spells with daytime temperatures above 29 degrees C and night time temperatures above 21 degrees C, tomato plants may become stressed, depleting the plants energy stores and changing the flower making it harder for them to be pollinated. The flower will then drop from the plant.
Heat may also keep your tomatoes from turning red. Tomatoes ripen in two stages. They are green, seeds form, the area around the seeds becomes soft and gelatinous and they are mature. Then they turn red. The ideal temperature for turning red is 20 to 25 degrees C. The pigments that turn mature tomatoes red are not produced when the temperature is above 29 degrees C.
The good news is that when the temperature is ideal, they will turn red. More here.
Gardening provides lots of learning opportunities to improve outcomes but sometimes the weather gets in the way!
There have been several instances lately when terrible “natural” things have occurred. The disastrous wildfires, the tragic floods in Texas and many more. Are they due to Mother Nature or is something else at work here?
I live close to the Warsaw Caves Conservation Area in Douro Township and walk there often. The derecho storm of 3 years ago caused enormous damage — trees were downed and uprooted in the path of the powerful wind and torrential rain. You could call this a disaster and blame Mother Nature.
However, the following spring I had never seen such stunning swathes of white trilliums (Trillium grandiflorum) where the trees had been. Trilliums prefer semi-shade, particularly under maples and aspens and it had been too shady under the evergreens. Mother Nature compensated with an amazing display where the trees had been uprooted and destroyed.
Spring trilliums
I was walking at the Caves recently and spotted 5 foot tall trembling aspens and some young maples that had taken advantage of Mother Nature’s help in providing the extra light to flourish.
This last winter was colder and snowier than we have had for several years. You might think that we would have lost some of our wonderful wild flowers. Not a bit of it.
Mother Nature put on an amazing display of our native red columbines, (Aquilegia canadensis), harebells (Campanula rotundifolia), violets (both purple and yellow), wild bergamot (Monarda fistula) and many more. We may have grumbled about the cold and snow but Mother Nature put on wonderful displays as a result.
Wild bergamotCanada columbineHarebells
The wildfires have caused enormous damage and it’s easy to blame Mother Nature. However, most of them have been caused by humans and the majority are caused by warming temperatures.
Mother Nature does her best to restore the landscape with plants such as willow herb ( Epilobium augustifolium), also known as fireweed. The indigenous people have used this herb as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Fireweed
Something I learned this week is that since lowbush wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) like an acid soil they flourish in areas after a fire has gone through. In fact, wild blueberries are being planted as firebreaks due to their low fuel load and fire resistant properties and the ability to be managed through controlled burns and pruning.
Wild blueberries
Mother nature is amazing and wonderful and we humans seem to do our best to work against her. We tend to blame Her for many so called “natural” events when most are caused by our polluting habits. Climate change is real and although Mother Nature does her best to compensate for the results, we need to do more to help her.
If you like to enjoy Mother Nature at her best, visit many of the wonderful conservation areas and parks that are available to us. Take a few precautions to guard against bites from black legged ticks as they are the primary carrier of Lyme and other diseases. They are particularly bad in April, May and June but due to our warmer winters they can be found year round. Wear long pants tucked into socks and long-sleeved tops, and check yourself carefully after walking in fields and woods.
Watch out for the Black legged tick
Overall Mother Nature is good, so get outside and enjoy all the wonderful things that she has given us and leave the places as you found them, take your garbage home and don’t be tempted to dig up any plants!
Heat. Humidity. Thunderstorms but no real rain. Dry soil.
What I wouldn’t give for a week of solid, consistent rain in our gardens. After the March ice storm, followed by a cool, wet spring and high water conditions until May, Mother Nature turned the water faucet off and we haven’t had solid rain for what feels like months.
I rarely have to water our established perennial gardens, which are a mix of native and non-native plants, but this month has been the exception.
So it’s time to think about the future. What can we do so our gardens survive (and thrive) during future dry or drought conditions?
Maintain Healthy Soils
Good soil is the foundation for good plant growth. Anything you can add to your soil like compost or other organic matter will make it easier for roots to penetrate deeper, creating more expansive root systems that can seek out water and nutrients. Check out Master Gardener Sharleen Pratt’s previous blog.
The result? Healthier, more drought-resistant plants. Good soils are better able to absorb surface water runoff, minimize erosion, and access nutrients and sediments.
Think About Future Plant Selection
Evaluate your plants for their resistance to dry conditions or drought; look for new plants (hey, who doesn’t want more plants?) that are identified as drought-tolerant or drought-resistant. Group plants according to how much water they need. Ask your local garden centre or nursery staff which plants they recommend.
Consider incorporating more native plants, which generally adapt better, have lower water demands, and fewer pest problems, plus of course the many benefits they provide to our pollinators and wildlife. In Our Naturehas some great ideas.
Bumblebee on native asters
Use Mulch
Mulch reduces evaporation, moderates soil temperature, and inhibits weed growth. It is estimated that three quarters of the rain falling on bare soil is lost to plants through evaporation and runoff.
Use compost, wood chips, bark nuggets, shredded bark mulch, shredded leaves, or any other organic material to cover the surface of the soil at least 5 cm in thickness. More info and a deeper dive here.
Shredded wood mulch
Water Well
Long, deep watering encourages roots to go deep down in the soil to where it is moist and a lot cooler. Water less frequently but for longer periods, so water reaches deep into soil. Good thorough watering promotes healthier plants.
Water only when necessary. Most plants will normally wilt in hot sun and then recover when watered. Also, a dry surface is not always a sign of water need. The surface generally dries out first and is not a true indicator of what is going on down deep near the plant root. Make use of a hand trowel or your fingers to check for moisture.
Weed Management
Weeds will compete with your plants for moisture and nutrients. Keep your gardens and areas beneath trees and shrubs weed free. Once the weeds are eradicated, apply mulch.
Consider Alternate Water Collection and Distribution Methods
Water harvesting is a great way to use water from your home’s roof and direct it onto the landscape, where the soil becomes your “holding tank.” The best example is using a rain barrel– we have various rain barrels and tanks in our garden and they are a great investment.
You can also practice ‘passive’ water harvesting by creating depressions that fill with water from the roof runoff or formal rain gardens, both of which help with stormwater runoff issues. Peterborough Greenup Rain Program
Investigate use of soaker hoses or other irrigation techniques using timers, which keep water on the soil and reduce losses by evaporation. Adjust watering frequency and amounts based on season, temperature, and amount of rainfall. Overhead watering uses more water and encourages fungal diseases.
Rainwater barrel and water diverters – check out Rainbarrel.ca for location of sales
Pollinator insects – bees, wasps, beetles, flower flies, ants and butterflies–play an important role in the production of almost 75% of global food crops (FAO 2018). For example, only the tiny chocolate midge is able to pollinate flowers of the cacao tree and produce cacao pods!But bees, including native bees, are responsible for the biggest share at 35% of global food production (Ritchie 2021), including economically important commercial crops such as apples and blueberries!
Bees are such effective pollinators because of the specialized hairs and pollen carrying structures on their legs that enable them to gather and transport pollen. The vast majority of bee pollinators are wild, including over 20,000 species of native bees worldwide and 400 species in North America. In natural ecosystems, bees visit the most plants and have the most interactions with flowers as compared to other insect pollinators (Radar et al. 2020).
Bees have specialized hairs and pollen carrying structures as seen in the large filled pollen sacs of this Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens) collecting nectar and pollen on native Shrubby St. John’s-wort (Hypericum prolificum).
I enjoy photographing the busy native Bumble Bees in my garden that collect pollen from a wide variety of flowers, often late into summer evenings. Here are a few species that you may see, too.
This Yellow-banded Bumblebee (B. terricola) with its distinct yellow and black abdominal band pattern is collecting nectar and pollen from the native Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum). This species is ranked as “Special Concern” in Ontario, meaning it is not endangered or threatened, but may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats. Its nests are often underground in abandoned rodent burrows or decomposing logs.
Here the Perplexing Bumblebee (B. perplexus) is collecting nectar and pollen from native Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). As its name suggests, this bumble bee can be rather perplexing to identify! As it’s not very common, rather little is known about it.
The Brown-belted (B. griseocollis) is a short-tongued Bumble Bee and native Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepsis tuberosa) is just one of the flowers it prefers. It is one of the most abundant and widespread bumble bees in northeast North America.
You can find excellent guides to help you identify the bumble bees in your garden here and you can learn more about native bees in this excellent publication.
Sadly, all pollinators are experiencing alarming declines due to habitat loss, pesticide exposure, invasive species, parasites/diseases and climate change. One study found that when compared to 125 years ago, 30% of plant:pollinator associations have been lost (Mathiasson and Rehan 2020). Five Bumble Bee species, American, Gypsy Cuckoo, Rusty-patched, Suckley’s Cuckoo, and Yellow-banded, are currently listed as Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern in Ontario.
Gardeners Can Help!
Gardeners can help native bees by creating habitat, providing floral resources and maintaining a pesticide-free garden:
Nesting & overwintering habitat
Most native bees (60-70%) nest in the ground. Use a thin layer of mulch and avoid using landscape paper/fabric which prevents bees from making a nest in the ground.
For the 30-40% of stem nesting bees, cut back perennials later in spring leaving those with hollow stems at varying lengths (20 to 60 cm) as shown in this excellent guide. If you do cut, leave the bottom 20 cm in place, bundle the cut stems, and place them in your garden.
An entrance hole of a bumble bee ground nest in a patch of native Pussy Toes (Antennaria neglecta) in the author’s garden.
Floral resources
Plant a diversity of native and non-native plants to have continuous blooms, and sources of nectar and pollen, from early spring to late fall
Include at least one native early spring blooming shrub or tree (e.g., willow, redbud, cherry) for emerging queen bees
Pesticide-free habitat
Avoid using pesticides. Recent research from the University of Guelph has shown that ground-nesting native bees experience reduced pollen collection, induced hyperactivity or decreased number of offspring emerging per nest even when so-called “bee-safe” pesticides were used (Rondreau and Raine 2024).
Your habitat restoration efforts, especially adding native flowering plants, will go a long way to helping our native bee pollinators, and also our food security.
Rondreau, S. and N.E. Raine. 2024. Single and combined exposure to ‘bee safe’ pesticides alter behaviour and offspring production in a ground-nesting solitary bee (Xenoglossa pruinosa). Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2023.2939
Have you ever gotten a weird red rash or burn after spending time outside? If you were pulling weeds or brushing up against certain plants, you might’ve had something called phytophotodermatitis. It sounds scary, but it’s really just a fancy name for a skin reaction that happens when plant juice meets sunshine.
Here’s how it works: some plants (like wild parsnip, giant hogweed, gas plant (Dictamnus), citrus fruits, dill, parsley, celery, fennel and even carrots) have natural chemicals in them called furanocoumarins. When these chemicals get on your skin and are then exposed to sunlight — especially strong summer sun — your skin can react. It might not hurt at first, but after a day or so you might notice red patches, streaks, or even blistering. It often looks like a burn or a splash mark.
People sometimes mistake it for poison ivy, but phytophotodermatitis is different. Poison ivy causes allergic contact dermatitis due to the urushiol oil in its sap. Phytophotodermatitis is not an allergic reaction, and it doesn’t usually itch. It’s more like a sunburn that was triggered by a plant.
Sometimes the blistering can be quite severe.
The good news? It usually goes away on its own in a few weeks, though it can leave behind darker patches of skin for a while. Severe burns may require medical treatment, including potential debridement (removal of damaged tissue) and skin grafts. Protect the affected area from sunlight for an extended period to prevent further irritation.
To avoid it, wear gloves when gardening, wash your skin after handling plants outdoors, and try to avoid sun exposure right after. And if you’re chopping limes for drinks on a sunny patio — wash your hands and arms!
It’s a sneaky kind of sunburn (or worse!), but a little knowledge goes a long way in preventing it.
Growing up in southwestern Ontario, I loved seeing these bluish star flowers in summer along roadsides. When we stopped to take a look, we were surprised to see them somehow growing out of straight gravel or other disturbed soil. Eventually, I found out they were Wild Chicory (Cichorium intybus), not native to Ontario. This plant is opportunistic and hardy, but incredibly hard to grow in a home garden (believe me, I tried, before I knew better). The root, roasted and ground, is used as a coffee substitute.
Wild Chicory flowers (Cichorium intybus)
It’s interesting how many people assume that the Ontario roadside flowers they see out their car windows are native to our province – in fact, many are non-native opportunists from Europe or Asia that colonize quickly on disturbed sites or ditches and wetlands and outcompete native species, negatively affecting biodiversity and increasing habitat loss.
Here are some of the plants you may recognize from your travels – none of them are native to Ontario. Are you surprised?
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) This plant grows everywhere, often in close proximity to Queen Anne’s Lace (see below), and the colour combination of white and blue is very pretty. Both the leaves and roots of chicory are used for culinary and medicinal purposes, and it’s also known for its use as a coffee substitute. More info HERE.
Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) From Europe, people also refer to this as spring phlox, but it’s not our true native spring wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) – as the ditty goes – Dame’s Rocket has 4 petals, while our native phlox has 5 petals. Dame’s Rocket also has ALTERNATE leaves and phlox has OPPOSITE leaves. It is a prolific self-seeder and fast-grower and thrives in roadsides, forest edges, and disturbed areas. More info HERE and HERE.
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Yes, the dandelions we see on the roadside (and in our lawns and gardens) are not native to Canada. While they show up early and provide some pollen, they definitely don’t support our native bees. More info HERE.
Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) Introduced from Siberia, this pretty looking plant spreads aggressively in gardens and natural areas. As many gardeners know, once you have it, it’s really hard to get rid of the long, parsnip-like roots as even small root fragments can regrow. More info HERE and a Facebook support group HERE.
Red, White, and White Sweet Clovers (Trifolium repens, T. pratense, and Melilotus albus) While Ontario has three native clovers – Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea), White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida) and Slender Bush-clover (Lespedeza virginica), the white, red, and sweet white clovers you see on the roadsides are likely to be non-native escapees from agricultural operations. The worst of these is sweet white clover. All are legumes, so they fix nitrogen in the soil. More info HERE.
Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) Brought to North America as a forage crop for animals and a green manure, this low growing plant with bright yellow flowers is now found along roadsides all over Ontario. Its name comes from the seed pods splayed in the shape of a bird’s foot. It’s attractive to bees and converts nitrogen, so it is often used in soil stabilization or rehabilitation projects. More info HERE.
Crown Vetch (Securigera varia) In decades past, this dense, quickly spreading plant was used by highway department crews to stabilize new road cuts. Though it looks pretty with its pink flowers, it’s often grows wildly out of control. More info HERE.
Yellow and red hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca formerly Hieracium aurantiacum) While very colourful, these are aggressive plants that can outcompete native species and form dense mats, reducing biodiversity and forage for wildlife. They are known to spread through seeds, stolons (aboveground stems), and rhizomes (below ground stems). More info HERE.
Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) This colourful white daisy resembles the English daisy but it not a true daisy, and is smaller than a Shasta daisy. The white petals are, in fact, discrete flowers. It’s the same with the yellow central disc, which is made up of hundreds of tiny individual flowers. It seeds profusely (I speak from experience) which makes it very hard to remove from your garden. More info HERE.
Queen’s Anne Lace/Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) Native to Europe and Asia, it is a common roadside plant with white flowers and feathery leaves. If you crush the leaves of this familiar, flat-topped flower, which looks like a flurry of tiny snowflakes, and you will smell carrot. It’s a secondary Noxious Weed in Canada and appears on invasive lists in some US states. This is the species which developed into our domestic carrot, Daucus carota subsp. sativus. More info HERE.
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Non-native mullein is easy to spot with its very distinctive appearance. About 2-3 ft tall (but can be taller), flowers appear on the top of the stalk, but it’s well-known in herbal medicine for use in coughs and skin irritations. While not typically a concern in cultivated agricultural land, it can be problematic in pastures and roadsides due to its ability to colonize disturbed soil. More info HERE.
During the gardening season you may find yourself wondering about how plants work. This quick garden jeopardy game is just the thing to answer some of those burning questions you may have.
This plant pigment acts as a sunscreen for plants, is a powerful antioxidant protecting plants from various environmental stressors and due to its mobility in water it can transport important substances to parts of the plant that need them. This pigment is responsible for a temporary condition called juvenile reddening. It acts as a sunscreen for tender young leaves. It may also help young leaves hang onto their water during expansion. What are Anthocyanins?
Photo: Lois Scott Juvenile Reddening of Witch-hazel leaves
This plant hormone controls rooting, stem elongation and directional growth. It is why shoots grow towards the light and roots grow down. If a sun-loving plant is suffering in too little light it will have sparse leaves that are larger and paler than normal, leggy (etiolated) stems and will lean towards the sun with most of the leaves on the sunny side. What is Auxin?
This plant movement (tropism) causes some plants like sunflowers to track the sun. A pigment (cryptochrome) absorbs blue light from the sun and uses it as a means to tell time. Cryptochrome sends a signal to the base of the leaf or flower where a pulvinus (a specialized, swollen structure) moves the leaf or flower to the right angle. What is Heliotropism?
This plant movement (tropism) causes the turning and bending of plants including the winding of vines and tendrils. Physical contact is the stimulus for this action. In vines, auxins are lowest where the tendril touches the support and highest on the opposite side. The high levels of auxin cause the cells on that side to grow longer, curving the tendril around the structure. What is Thigmotropism?
Photo: Lois Scott Twining Tendrils of Clematis
Thank you for playing the game! The material used is from the book ‘How Plants Work’ by Dr. Linda Chalker Scott, Timber Press, 2015. This excellent resource has answered many questions for me and one I return to when I need to refresh my memory or when I wish to marvel at just ‘How Plants Work’. Any misinterpretations are my own!
Now that the hot, humid days of summer are upon us, it is time to appreciate some of the unsung heroes of the garden such as the low growing sedums (aka stonecrops) and hens and chicks (Sempervivum).
These are a large and diverse grouping of plants known for their thick, fleshy engorged parts that retain water making them incredibly drought resistant. They are found on every continent but Antarctica and likely in all of our gardens. Give them sunshine with good drainage and they will reward you for years to come.
Often, these plants are used as groundcovers playing second fiddle to our larger, showier specimens or artfully placed in rock gardens. Why not consider bringing them out to centerstage? Their varied texture and colours can create a unique look. The drought resistant nature of the plants is on trend with our warming climate.
Some years ago, I redid a south facing bed entirely in sedums and hens and chicks. The previous occupants were failing to meet the challenges of the climate. It has proven to be a bit of trial and error with some varieties working well, some being too aggressive necessitating their removal and some succumbing to winter kill. The bed is still a work in progress.
Initially, I did lose plants to rot as the existing soil was rich and covered with cedar bark mulch. After amending with a poorer quality of soil scavenged from the shoulder of my road as well as implementing the use of HPB (high performance bedding) as mulch, the plants took off. HPB is a type of washed, crushed, angular limestone chip that does not contain fines or dust, typically around 1/4 inch in size. It is commonly used as a base material for patios, walkways, and other landscaping projects. It’s known for its excellent drainage properties and makes a lovely stone mulch. As the plants grew, they expanded happily into the HPB.
Other applications for these plants include their use in containers. I am fond of planting up an old boot for placement on the porch stairs. The succulents do well and take little care. At the end of the season, plants are tucked back into garden to overwinter.
More recently, specialized companies have been producing “sedum mats” for use on green roofs and on landscape applications. Sedum mats are a mixture of hardy sedum species grown in 1.5 inch thick soil-less media on a biodegradable coconut fibre base. These mats are cut and rolled up like sod and are laid out in a similar fashion to provide a continuous green covering. They can tolerate light foot traffic and are often used in areas where conventional garden beds would prove difficult (rocky areas with little soil depth, accents around hardscaping, boulevards).
Sedums and sempervivum are the ultimate in low maintenance, drought tolerant plants that are visually striking and unique. There are far too many varieties to list here but some that I have found attractive, hardy and would recommend growing are Sunsparkler Firecracker, Sunsparkler Lime Zinger, Angelina, Dragons Blood, Voodoo and John Creech. Some nurseries specialize in these species and have a large selection to choose from. No need to worry about planting these in the heat or having to baby them along. I have some empty spots to fill so I think I will be heading out to my favorite nursery near Bobcaygeon to acquire a few new varieties.
And thanks to Master Gardener MJ Pilgrim for the awesome photo of her hens and chicks in the vintage iron.
Now that we finally have some warm weather, we welcome the highest populations of insect pests and diseases that we will experience throughout the year in the garden. Here I will highlight some general principals of pest management to achieve thriving plants, a delicious harvest (if we’re talking vegetables) and a healthy, balanced ecosystem in your garden.
Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants
Plants have many adaptive mechanisms to protect themselves and keep themselves alive. Healthy soil provides plants the tools they need to do this. Achieve this with addition of organic matter, adequate moisture and space for the roots to grow (ie. minimal compaction). Deficiencies and imbalances can render them susceptible to pest damage.
If you’re not feeding the soil, the soil is feeding on itself.
2.Resistant/Tolerant Varieties
Look for seeds/plants that have built in resistance to common pest or disease problems you have dealt with in the past. This is often noted in seed guides, like the photo below or on plant labels.
Source: westcoastseeds.com
3. Crop Rotation
Simply moving your vegetables around each year allows for better nutrient availability to each plant type but also makes it harder for the pests/diseases to find your plants.
Utilizing some beds, cover cropping/tarping others
4. Monitor Regularly
Keep an eye on your garden, daily if possible. This way you can spot problems early and manage them while they are small.
“The best medicine for the garden is the gardener.”
5. Reduce overhead watering
Overhead watering increases risk of disease transmission from soil to plant and from plant to plant. The water can splash up from the soil onto the leaves, bringing disease with them. It can also sit on the leaves of the plant and make an excellent environment for fungal pathogens to thrive.
Left: Much to retain moisture Right: Drip irrigation or soaker hoses
6. Promote Ventilation
Trellising, pruning and adequate spacing can help reduce the risk of infestations and disease.
Tomato plant with the bottom leaves and extra foliage pruned off.
7. Removal of diseased plants & Sanitation
If caught early, a plant with diseased parts may be saved by removing the damaged portion before it spreads to the whole plant or its neighbours.
Always be sure to sanitize your tools and hands between plants to prevent spread.
The tools used to remove diseased plant material can transfer disease to other plants.
8. Learn your pest’s life cycle
Learning how the pest overwinters, when it emerges and begins to reproduce, and what stages of its growth it is a threat to your plants will help you to decide how to manage a pest more efficiently.
Many defoliators are only a problem during their larval stage.
9. Attract natural predators
Beneficial insects and organisms help keep the pests in check. Flowers like sweet alyssum, nasturtium and marigolds are commonly known for attracting insects that feed on common garden insect pests. Choose single or heirloom varieties to maximize pollen availability. Birds are also excellent bug eaters.
Left: Sweet Alyssum Right: Nasturium
10. Prevention using Barriers
Insect netting for both flying and crawling bugs or fencing for deer/rabbits can help keep pests from becoming a problem.
Insect netting to keep the winged insects off.
11. Chemicals are only a short term ‘solution’.
Pesticides should always be thoroughly researched and used mindfully. They often come at a cost, harm both beneficial organisms and pests, and may not be good for your own health. They can help keep problem populations in check but can also just put the problem off temporarily only to be experienced again in future seasons. They are often not a long term or sustainable pest management solution.
(There is only water in this jug).
12. Fight pests with life, not death.
Create opportunities for the garden to balance its own ecosystem out by allowing as much biodiversity of plants, critters, microbes, and humans as possible.
Left: Girls in the garden Right: Annuals, perennials, flowers, edibles and volunteers are all welcome in this garden.
Pollinator Week 2025 is scheduled from June 16-22 this year. It is an annual celebration initiated by Pollinator Partnership to raise awareness of the vital role pollinators play in our ecosystems and food systems. This year’s theme, “Pollinator Cultural Connections,” emphasizes the deep ties between pollinators and human culture.
What Is Pollinator Week?
Pollinator Week is a global event dedicated to celebrating, protecting and promoting pollinators—bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other insects—that are essential for the reproduction of over 75% of flowering plants and about one-third of the world’s food crops.
The 2025 Theme: “Pollinator Cultural Connections”
The 2025 theme invites reflection on how pollinators are interwoven with human culture, including agriculture, art, and spirituality. Many Indigenous communities have long recognized the importance of pollinators not only for their ecological contributions but also as a foundation for cultural symbolism.
What Can We Do?
You can contribute to pollinator conservation by:
Planting native pollinator-friendly gardens: Use a variety of flowering native plants to support pollinators .
Supporting local initiatives: Engage with community events and support programs like Bee City Canada, which recognizes and supports municipalities, Indigenous communities, campuses, and schools taking action to protect pollinators .
Educating others: Share information about the importance of pollinators and ways to protect them through social media and community outreach.
One of the fun Pollinator Week activities is a Bioblitz. From the Pollinator Partnership web site: “A Bioblitz brings together trained scientists and citizen scientists in a fun, friendly competition to record species observations. Community science efforts like this help advance scientific knowledge and foster public engagement, enable widespread participation in the scientific process, and break down traditional barriers between scientists and the public.”
I signed up for the Bioblitz. For more information see link.
I love taking photos of the pollinators that visit my gardens.
Tips for Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
Diverse Planting: Incorporate a variety of native plants with different bloom times to provide continuous food sources for pollinators throughout the growing season. Native plants are more readily available now. I only began adding them to my gardens a few years ago. My gardens consist of lots of the usual perennials eg. day lilies, peonies, iris, daisies. The natives fit right in!
Provide Shelter: Include features like bee hotels, leaf piles and tall grasses to offer shelter for pollinators.
Eliminate Pesticide Use: Pesticides can harm pollinators.
Water Source: Provide a shallow water source, such as a birdbath with stones for landing. Pollinators will visit for a drink.
Celebrating Pollinator Week 2025 highlights the interconnectedness between pollinators and human culture. Participate in local events, support conservation efforts and make informed choices to contribute to the protection and celebration of these essential creatures.
Other Resources
Invite These Super Pollinators and Pest Managers to your Garden by Silvia Strobl, Master Gardener. See link.
How to Make the Perfect Pollinator Garden. See link.
Pollinator Partnerships – Threats to Pollinators. See link.
The Peterborough & Area Master Gardeners 