More Than One Way to a Pollinator Paradise

 

One of the things we hope to achieve during our time as stewards of the land that we call the Genuine Faux Farm, is to work with nature and provide habitat for pollinators.  We do all sorts of things - some of them might seem strange to other growers - to support a wide range of pollinators.  We let patches of clover and daisies grow in our "lawn" areas and we try to manage when we mow to promote new blooms, while still allowing these non-lawn plants a chance to thrive.  We plant a range of annual flowering plants with our vegetables and I have been known to let broccoli bloom because I know our little friends like them.

I am sure I have a long list of ideas for others who might like to create their own pollinator paradises.  But, one thing is certain, I won't pretend that my way is the best or only way.  It's what works for us, on our farm, with our tools, our available time, and our land - most of the time.

In July, we took a trip to the Scattergood Friends School farm.  Scattergood is one of the farms we have traditionally visited to do some work and share some food each year.  Our friends there have a bit more land to work with than we do and they also have a very different landscape to work with too.

Certainly they use flowers in their vegetable planting.  And, yes, they have pasture area, trees, bushes and other spaces that provide a long range of bloom period to feel the wildlife and the pollinators.  They also worked with Xerces to establish a perennial pollinator habitat.  

While I was there, I took out the camera and took a few pictures, focusing on some of the flowers that were blooming at the time.  There were only a few of these Butterfly Milkweed plants near the edge of the planting, but I was able to get close enough without tromping through the plot.

Then, just this last weekend, we visited Blue Gate Farm.  Our friends there are also part of our peer mentorship group.  Again, there are similarities to what we do and what Scattergood does.  And, of course, there are differences.

While Tammy and I both work off the farm now, this is not true for our friends at Blue Gate.  The farm produces their income, so they need to be aware of money-making opportunities, while also working to provide pollinator habitat.  

What it looks like when a larger bumblebee flies right in front of the camera!

Of course, our friends at Blue Gate recognize that a healthy pollinator population is a key for the production of many of the crops they hope to sell.  But they also look to the beautiful flowers as a source of income, selecting a wide range of blooms that they can harvest and sell as flower arrangements.  So they select many of their annuals based on blooming habits that provide excellent cut flowers over a longer season of production.

While Blue Gate might not use borage or marigolds as much as we do (because neither provide excellent cut flowers for sales), they are also intent on providing habitat.  They're just hoping that their efforts can be repaid both by flower sales and by pollinator services.

In all three examples, the Genuine Faux Farm, Blue Gate Farm, and Scattergood, diversity is a central theme.  That diversity provides a longer bloom time and provides different flower types that appeal to a wider range of pollinators.  Also, in all three cases, there is wild space, there are perennial and annual plantings, and a desire to avoid insecticides that will kill the pollinators.

Yet the biggest similarity might be the hearts of the farmers that want to build these Pollinator Paradises - even if the ways they go about it are different.