Pollinators and More!

1-1-Monarch Pollinating Mexican Sunflower-5050

With a looming trip later this week to Columbus, OH for the CULTIVATE (www.cultivate16.org) event, I am buried in preparations for being gone and didn’t get out to take as many photos today as I normally like.  I did tour the gardens extensively and they are looking excellent.  However, due to my lack of photography today, I’ve included some wonderful close-up photos (from the gardens) from Ken Tapp that he recently shared with me.  It’s nice to see all of the pollinator and insect activity out in the gardens although Ken has shown the patience to really capture this activity!  Enjoy this montage (all from Ken Tapp).

 

With a shift in the week due to the July 4th holiday, we had a small, but effective group today with both grounds staff and volunteers.  Big John, Terry, Cindy and Larry H. all had a wide range of tasks today including plenty of watering.  While most of our planting is complete, we’ll continue to “shoehorn” in plants as needed and have quite a few perennials, shrubs and small trees still awaiting installation.

Our talented volunteers today included Kathy, Eva, Firefighter Cathi, Kay, Alan, Ron R., Lloyd, Del, Maury, Dr. Gredler, Rollie, Kristin, Stan, Larry O., Bill O. and many others.  Most of the focus was on gardening which continues to be a priority with so many visitors starting to roll in to see “summer peak” over the coming weeks.  There were A LOT of visitors out there today.  A little rain tomorrow would be nice.  We’ll see…

1-1-Monarch Pollination-4920-cr

1-1-Monarch Pollination-4979

1-1-Silver-spotted Skipper sipping nectar-5011

1-Angle-winged Butterfly pollinating Baby's Breath flowers-3209

1-Bee pollinating Butterfly Weed-3009-cr

1-Bee pollinating Swamp Milokweed-3526-cr

F-Bee pollinating Butterfly Weed flowers-0671

F-Bee pollinating Mystic Illusion Dark-eyed Dahlia-0715

1- Bee pollinating Lambs Ear flowers-3110-cr

1-Bee pollinating Sedum Flowers-2998

F-Bee pollinating Butterfly Weed flowers-0671

F-Male Blue Dasher Dragonfly-0199-A