The Bees are Back! This was taken the day they moved into their new home here on campus. Since then, they have increased their numbers significantly. I am working hand in hand with a local volunteer to nurture them through Biodynamic philosophy.

If you look very closely below, you’ll see a bee taking advantage of our early autumn pollinator garden foliage.  Last year the students worked with the Maryland Master Gardeners to put in a true blue certifiable pollinator garden.  If you build it, they will come.

Below, bees enjoy late season Turtlehead blooms, also in our pollinator garden.

And I just have to show off another photo of the showstopper goldenrod display we (and the bees) enjoyed just last week.

Students planted the zinnia below for our butterfly pollinator friends. In our presentations with the butterfly lady last spring, we learned the importance of feeding caterpillars as well as their charismatic butterfly phases. And, just this year several of our friends in the Children’s Garden witnessed the magic cycle of caterpillar and chrysalis and butterfly!

All the abundance of Milkweed we have here on campus guarantees the chance to catch a monarch coming out of its chrysalis! The garden pictured below has zinnia, calendula, parsley, dill, and milkweed- food for our caterpillar friends.