Friday, June 29, 2012

Xerces Society plantings for pollinators

From Eric Mader with the Xerces Society, sent to me on June 21:  
 
What are the pink spikes to the left of the tower? 6/21/12
I'm not sure what the pink spikes might be, I haven't been out to the farm for a couple of weeks to see what's starting to bloom. The plantings seem to be mostly successful (there are some larger ones that we've been working with Don to create). We have some annual weed problems, but I think they will decline over time as the slower to establish Oregon natives: Eriophyllum, Prunella, Gaillardia, Lupine, etc take off. Some of them won't even bloom the first year, but should they should fill in over time. On average we've got 5 to 10 wildflower seedlings per square foot. 
Update on pink spikes, and odd berry bush, 6/29/12

You might also be interested to know that I'm still seeing the odd O. lignaria in Portland here as well. Definitely not many, but whenever I've worked the garden lately, a few show up to collect fresh mud. Interesting the O. cornifrons in the neighborhood seem to have finished up earlier this year than the lignaria. I've never seen that before. In any case, we're starting to get some hot days now, and I imagine the spring bees will be finished up soon.

1 comment:

  1. Eric thinks the pink spikes are probably grass. The odd berry bush in bloom in the background turned out to be Himalayan blackberry. It's very attractive to berry bees.

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