Since warmer weather arrived here in Ottawa at the end of May, there's been a lot more pollinator activity in my garden. I've observed ground and cavity nesting bees, queen bumblebees, and a few butterflies. Inconvenient (for me) ground nests I've spotted lots of bees going into ground nests all over the front and back … Continue reading Resident spring bees and visiting butterflies →

While the calendar was turned to May last month, it felt more like March in Ottawa. The miserable, cool weather limited pollinator activity in the garden, slowed plants emerging from the ground, delayed blooms, and prevented seed germination. Temperature and pollinator activity Throughout the month, local gardeners shared my concerns about the dearth of pollinators. … Continue reading May 2019: slow start to spring →

I want to start tracking what's going on in my front and back gardens. This information will help me ensure there's always something in bloom for pollinators. It will also be useful for planning future changes to my garden beds. My table format is a simplified version of the Minnesota Wildflowers What's Blooming pages. Phenology … Continue reading April 2019 flora and fauna →

“Plant it and they will come” is the native plant gardeners' rallying-cry. It emphasizes how easy it is to grow native plants, and how quickly wildlife will find them. It really is that simple. In 2017, I turned a patch of our Ottawa, Ontario front lawn into a pollinator garden. I included many native plants, … Continue reading Plant it and they will come →