National Pollinator Week!

It's been National Pollinator Week and I've had fun participating in garden tours, attending talks, and will do a program tomorrow about native plants for pollinators -- great fun for an excellent initiative.

I started gardening for butterflies three decades ago, but rapidly expanded my interest to native bees, and other flower insects.  I never studied entomology, unfortunately, but my best friend in graduate school as well my hubby (whom I also met in graduate school) studied pollination biology, so I was at least aware of the field!

But as a gardener and educator, it's been a joy to encourage people to include plants that "work for a living" and this includes pollinator-friendly plants of all sorts.  From adding nectar- and pollen-rich flowers to providing habitat for nesting and larval food sources -- we can easily support pollinators in our landscapes.

I've posted a pdf of the presentation on the sidebar.  Just click on the image to view it.

I'm glad I'll have the opportunity to plug pollinator habitat as part of pollinator week!

(The presentation is at a great local native plant garden, the Botanical Gardens at Asheville and is in support of the Pollination Celebration organized by Bee City USA.

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Native azaleas

Most of our deciduous native azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) in the mountains and piedmont of the Carolinas have already flowered (there are just one or two species yet to come).

This natural hybrid (from Gregory Bald in the Southern Appalachians) has been in flower the last week and a half on the slope below our small house in the mountains-- beautiful. 

Gregory Bald hybrid native azalea

Not surprisingly, local native plant nursery folks collected the hybrids!   

Gregory Bald is a mecca for hikers and plant lovers.

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A Celebration at Sunrise Jubilee Farm

Signs lead us to the farm at the northern border of Florida. To get there, you
need to enter Georgia for a while before turning into their road back into Florida.

This Saturday afternoon celebration was a change of pace from my other book tour events. The Sunrise Jubilee Farm, a new organically run operation, held a community-wide pot-luck dinner party.

Jennifer Asbury and me.

Jennifer and I met on Facebook where she was talking about the farm that she and her husband Joe have started. I suggested that we could create an event as an open-house, introduction to the community event where I could talk about organic gardening and sell my books.

The rest of the event, she, her family, her church, and her neighbors put together. And what a great party it was. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Plus the weather was beautiful.

A carpenter bee visits my flat parsley blooms.

This family bought a copy of my book.  I see more vegetables in their future.

Red okra: just one of the many crops growing out in the fields.

A sassy scarecrow guards the gardens.

Dragonfly.

Dragonfly.

This dragonfly visited one of my sunflowers. It was in the same vase as the curly parsley where a black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar had been browsing. I didn't get a photo of the cat, but after I'd noticed the dragonfly, the caterpillar was gone.

This lady seemed to attract the dragonflies. I saw her several times with dragonflies on her fingers.

Herding geese!

A water slide serves to entertain the kids.

The baby bunnies were popular attractions.

What a great cake from a neighbor!

Everyone brought a covered dish to share. There was a wide choice of food from fried chicken and watermelon to cole slaw and various fruit salads plus this fabulous cake.

Three Christian bands provided music throughout the afternoon.

At the end of the day, as a surprise for Gramma, Jennifer had arranged
for one of her coworkers to perform a belly dance!

The hayride had a lot of takers. Here the sun sets through the Spanish moss on the pecan trees.

And so, the sun set on a wonderful afternoon.  I wish Jennifer, Joe and the rest of the Asbury family all the best in their endeavors on the farm.

Green Gardening Matters,
Ginny Stibolt

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Spigelia marilandica (Indian pink)

Along with Silene virginica (Fire Pink), Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink) is one of my favorite "red" flowers of late spring.

The striking tubular flowers are remarkable -- I'd imagine ruby-throated hummingbirds would visit them, although I've not seen that.  This plant was at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville - a robust specimen!

Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink)

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Swiss chard

I've grown what I thought was OK Swiss chard in the past. Certainly, I've managed to enjoy the harvest enough to post about it.

But this year's cool spring and abundant rain has produced leafy robust red chard that's been amazing.  Now maybe the extra mushroom compost (the real thing) along with fresh doses of organic fertilizer have helped, too.

But, transplants from seeds this winter that I moved around to various spots in my raised beds have been remarkably productive.

This was just a quick cutting for tonight's dinner!

Swiss chard

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