Written by Hae Min Lee, Bee City Los Alamos Committee Member and recipient of a 2025 Backyard Pollinator Garden Project habitat start kit.
Rocks Everywhere
Our family moved to Los Alamos County less than 5 years ago and our house in White Rock was surrounded by rocks. In an effort to reduce weeding time, the previous owners had covered the majority of the lawn with river rocks. Unfortunately, the rocks seemed to trap and radiate heat in the hot summers, and weeds found a way to grow through them. We determined the best thing to do would be to bring plants back into the yard.
This goal was much more difficult than simply learning the difference between annuals and perennials. The beautiful bougainvillea I planted one summer died that following winter. Our unique high desert environment seemed to be very selective: winters were cold, summers were hot, and it was always dry.
Free Plants!
In 2025, I saw a notice for free plants in my weekly PEEC newsletter stating that Bee City Los Alamos was offering free plants to county residents. I signed-up immediately!
The plant pick-up event started with a welcome from Britton, the Bee City coordinator, who assured the group that the presentation would be short. She listed the names of the plants, none of which I recognized, and gave us some plant survival tips. Deer seemed to be every gardener’s enemy, and we talked about ways we could shield our new sprouts, as well as ways to maintain our new gardens to provide habitat for native wild bees.
Trays of pollinator plant sprouts were distributed to the group, and we accepted with a promise to water them diligently. The main goal in the first season was to help the plants establish their roots. If we could do that, they could grow back stronger the following year.
I came home with my plants, with both a feeling of holding each plant sacred and also an acceptance that total control is not possible. Working with the environment means adaptation, and adaptation to the environment is what native plants know best, even with the variations to the landscape that climate change is bringing. With that in mind, I planted and watered my plants.
Summer Growth
Now, a year has passed, it’s summer again, and I’ve found several familiar sprouts in my yard. We’ve managed to relocate and reduce the number of rocks around our house, and my Backyard Pollinator Garden plants are growing, as well as my knowledge of our environment. Not all the plants and information have stuck, so it’s an on-going process. Every season will have fails, successes, and inevitably, deer, but as the community of Bee City gardeners grows, it will undoubtedly make our county greener and healthier for people, wildlife, and local pollinators.
Hae Min Lee currently resides in White Rock, NM with her partner James, daughters Olivia and Hope, and dog, Hazel. She has a EdS in Counseling, MA in Community Counseling, and BA in English Literature; and previously worked for the US Department of Education. She enjoys volunteering her time with Girl Scouts, Gaia’s Pantry, Bee City, and fostering baby kittens.