KokHeong McNaughton helps recipients to their plants at our Backyard Pollinator Garden Project plant hand-out July 19 & 20, 2024 at PEEC
We are so excited by how well-received the Backyard Pollinator Garden Project was this year and we look forward to doing even better next year! All of the baby perennials and shrubs found homes among residents of Los Alamos County who applied for a collection of native perennials and shrubs of special benefit to our native pollinators. We had a summer with lots of rain and not too many super hot days, which is perfect for getting these plants through their first year. It can take up to 3 years for perennials to get established and even longer for the shrubs. Deer, gophers, skunks and other critters can have a negative impact on the plants as well, and it isn’t always practical to fence or cage everything. Patience is important. Watering regularly while the plants get their root systems well-established, and protecting them as well as you can, will help your pollinator garden grow. We are here to help with any questions or concerns you may have. We are always excited to see photos of your gardens and of any pollinators you see.
The first summer is finishing up now. Leaves are beginning to turn colors and flowers are setting seed. Now is the time to let your plants alone until next Spring. Leave seed heads to scatter, and stems to dry out for stem-nesting bees. Next Spring you can clean up and trim dead branches and stems once temperatures are consistently above 50F for over a week. Adding a bit of composted mulch around the bases of your plants will help protect them through snow and frost. Don’t forget to water at least once a week through dry spells.
Here is a gallery of photos from some of the project participants. Enjoy! Maybe you have some good ideas or helpful tips to share. Please do send us anything you have learned this first year, and photos as your gardens grow next year. Email us at: coordinator@beecitylosalamos.org
Gallery of participant gardens September 2024
