Planting native wildflowers is a great way to help bees and other pollinators in our area. On March 3 we heard from County Extension Director and Agent Bart Renner and Master Gardener Richard Mills (shown above) about planting for pollinators.
Plant information: Mr. Renner presented a slideshow on the top native pollinator plants for our area for each season of the year. Find a handout with all the plants listed here. The Extension Service also has a great website to help you choose the right plants for various locations: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
Pollinators and prairies: Mr. Mills gave a presentation on creating a pollinator pasture, based on a project he worked on with the Audubon Society in Alabaster, Alabama. Many pollinator plants are adapted from the prairie lands that abounded all over the eastern United States hundreds of years ago, including North Carolina, he said. Information about growing a prairie from seed is here.
Door prizes: TCBA is now giving away door prizes at the monthly meeting. This month, two lucky attendees received a pre-seeded mat with enough bee-friendly flowers to cover about 8 square feet. Come to the April 7 meeting to see what next month’s prize will be!
April meeting site: We will meet at the county Board of Elections building at 150 S. Gaston St. on April 7, 7-8 p.m. Our usual meeting room is under renovations. UPDATE: The April meeting is canceled.
