Bumblebee Landscape and Garden Design

My granddad, who taught me how to identify a number of trees on sight as a kid and seemed to have endless nature facts, always called snow "poor man's fertilizer" for the effect snowy winters had on plants.

This is why if you do artificial cold stratification, you do it in the fridge and not the freezer.

You can also look up 30 year normals on NCEI with this link.
You can select for probability of last day below 40 degrees, choose your location and pick one or more data locations. I chose Dover because it's the closest to me. Add your email, and check your inbox. You can then follow the link to DL

Purple pitcher plant - currently red - surrounded by leaf litter and snow.

Turns out, pitcher plants can handle a wet meadow (so far). Other plants here include tons of lobelias, halberd-leaved mallow, virginia bunchflower, red (bog) milkweed, and rose gentian, and some other things. Too many to list.

This used to be compacted lawn prone to ponding from being compact.

Skunk cabbage season!

I haven't been by this year but I'd put money down on them popping up at the Patuxent Nature Refuge about now

Two photos at the top of this graphic. The one on the upper left is of a yard filled with trees & flowers with a stone walkway to a brick house. Its text says, "This creates life" The photo on the right is of a green lawn and a brick house with one tree. Its text says, "This kills it" The text under the 2 photos says, "Real gardens have native biodiversity with different types of bees" The drawing shows 6 species of bees on a variety of different plants. Bumblebees, Carpenter bees, Leaf cutter bees, Mason bees, blackberry bees, & squash bees.

#RethinktheLawn The "perfect lawn" maintenance includes landscape-wide applications of poisons & synthetic fertilizers. You will save pollinators, birds, & $$ by stopping this practice & planting natives. Read about "Freedom Lawns" here: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/05/our-...

Snakes, too, are friends! They're great at keeping rodents from your house

Did u know?Before the worker bumblebees are born the queen must forage for food herself.She collects pollen on her hind legs to build up a pile of it in her nest.When she has enough pollen she lays eggs on top & sits on the pile,like a chicken,keeping it all warm until the 1st workers hatch.🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🌍🪲🐝

It took me gardening for bees to fall in love with other bugs and spiders. But my interest in them has piqued the interest of a few neighborhood kids. I think that's all we can do

I've always added one box of the newer ones to my orders (happily I only have 2 scouts vying for my money) just to check them out. But I feel you on loving the OGs; growing up, 75% of my immediate fam loved thin mints so much we bought several *cases*

Bowser declares Potomac sewage spill an emergency, seeks federal aid for cleanup The Bowser administration hopes the move will free up federal funds to reimburse local authorities for repair and recovery costs.

Breaking news: D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) declared the Potomac River sewage spill a public emergency and requested federal assistance as President Trump continued to criticize local leaders for allegedly mishandling the environmental disaster.

You keep the samoas and I'll take the thin mints and those ridiculous brownie cookies

The woods behind one the house i lived in as a kid was full of clubmoss. I was enchanted by them, thought they were a forest of tiny cedar trees. Whenever I see them when I'm on a hike, I annoy my husband by insisting we stop and admire them for a minute.

😍

Donate here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/xerces/info/youtube Website: https://xerces.org/ The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization that protects… Season 3; Episode 3: Where the Wind Blows: Does wind speed affect overwintering monarchs?

On this #BugBanterPodcast, we’re exploring what makes a forest grove good for monarchs! We are joined by a researcher studying how wind and other factors affect monarchs at their overwintering sites.
Audio & transcript 📻 xerces.org/bug-banter/w...
Video w/ captions 📺

Also known as lesser celandine, Nicaragua verna is a very nasty little invasive. Though they're working on removing it, it all but took over Rock Creek Park in MD and DC. Thanks to the Rock Creek Weed Warriors, asking others, it's being replaced with native ephemerals!

of helleborus can be a good plant to include. Just make sure it's one of the ones that don't spread by seed (or that they're getting deadheaded before they go to seed) or else they'll likely become invasive.

Hellebores are native to Eurasia and often bloom late in the winter. They don't provide benefit to the local ecosystem, but Maryland, DC, & VA don't consider them invasive. (NC does, but at lowest threat level.)

If you have clients who aren't sure they want to go all in on natives, some species

More on our lawsuit against the Fish & Wildlife Service and others with the goal of protecting #hellbender salamanders under the #ESA.

“They’re just magical looking, and you know you’re seeing something very special,” Tierra Curry, our Endangered Species Co-director told @wkrnnews2.bsky.social

I obviously love bumblebees! They're a big part of why I got interested in native plants in the first place.

Potomac River Sewage Spill Uncertainty and Frustration Remain One Month Later • Chesapeake Bay Foundation Crisis underscores funding need for aging wastewater systems across the region.

“The Potomac spill draws long overdue attention to aging wastewater infrastructure that every year sends millions of gallons of raw sewage into rivers across our region… [it] should spark action to fund the major, ongoing investments needed to modernize all wastewater systems”

Diving into love at 200 miles per hour Peregrine falcons form lifetime bonds through diving displays

Love happens fast! As one of the Chesapeake’s most skilled hunters, Peregrine falcons can dive at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. But, those impressive dives aren’t just for catching prey, they’re also part of their courtship displays to impress a mate!

#ValentinesDay

buff.ly/JdCQ0B8

I strongly feel that fundraisers should rely more on pettiness.

A flock of cedar waxwings picking through the old frozen berries on a bare tree.

Hear me now ye fellowes: I hath seent a byrd. 🪶

A National wildlife federation job post advertises a position opening for “beaver conflict resolution technician”

I need to know everything about job #6 right now

Support DC Rebellion for this fundraiser for Flare USA. All funds raised will go to FlareUSA.org. In discussion with them, they asked me to collect the funds then donate via their link. I will post pics of the donation so folks know the money went where it...

Ans speaking of state or "state" birds.....there is still time to get one of @devotaj.com 's DC Rebellion shirts featuring a wood thrush
www.customink.com/fundraising/...

“First Graders Take Action to Protect the Endangered Ohlone Tiger Beetle” A close up photo of the Ohlone tiger beetle, which is a bright metallic green. Alongside that, a photo of the Stratford elementary students walking down a path in a natural area and picking up trash.

Huge shoutout to the amazing first graders of Stratford Elementary School in Los Gatos, CA! For the 4th year in a row (!!), these young conservationists raised money for Xerces, cleaned up their local beetle habitat, and spread the word in their community! 💖🪲
(Inspired? ➡️ xerces.org/fundraise)

Pollinator pal!

Y'all have you heard about this? It's legit, funded by Maryland.

"No-cost new HVAC for qualified [low-to moderate-income] homeowners using oil or propane heating [in central and southern MD]. Lower your bills, stay warmer, and improve home comfort—funding is limited!"

go.sustainourfuture.org

Finding (and Saving) Where the Wild Things Thrive • The Revelator Where are the safe havens keeping wildlife safe from climate change? New science offers guidance on how to identify, manage, and connect climate refugia.

Finding (and Saving) Where the Wild Things Thrive • @therevelator.org via @theconversation.com therevelator.org/finding-and-...