Leave flower seed heads standing in the landscape over the winter. The dried seed heads of flowers like purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan and sunflowers are nature’s birdfeeders. Juncos, bluejays and cardinals will visit your habitat and eat the seeds. What does not get eaten, will germinate in the spring. If you have pumpkins left over from a fall display, put them outside for wildlife. Squirrels and deer will be happy to feed on them. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mary Jane Frogge
The fall weather has been warm and pleasant. Asters are still blooming and would benefit from being watered. It has been a dry fall here at the Cherry Creek Pollinator Habitat.
Asters are hardy perennials that bloom late summer until the first hard frost. Many asters are native to Nebraska and a late-season source of pollen for migrating monarchs, other butterflies, moths, bumblebees, solitary bees, honey bees and soldier beetles.
Asters are easy to grow and look great in a mass planting. They can be planted with other native plants like purple coneflower, coreopsis, black-eyed Susan and native grasses.
The main plant disease is powdery mildew. It causes a whitish growth that appears on leaves. To reduce the chance of this disease, grow asters in full sun and space the plants, so they are not crowded.
Fendler’s aster-Symphyotrichum fendleri, 6-16 inches tall, white flowers, low growing.
‘My Antonia’ white flowers, 12 inches tall.
Smooth aster – Symphyotrichum leave, 2-4 feet tall with purple flowers.
‘Bluebird’ violet-blue flowers, 3-4 feet tall.
New England aster – Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, 3-5 feet tall with pink, red-violet, purple or blue flowers.
‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’ is a fast growing, upright, compact plant that grows 30-42 inches tall. It has masses of flowers, 2″ across, with rose pink petals which bloom for 6 weeks or longer in late summer.
Kickin’ series of bushy and compact asters, 2 ft. tall and wide, late summer to fall-blooming with semi-double flowers. Comes in seven different cultivars: ‘Carmine Red,’ ‘Lilac Blue,’ ‘Lavender,’ ‘Pink Chiffon,’ ‘Silver Pink,’ ‘Mauve,’ and ‘Purple.’
New York aster-Aster novi-belgii, 3-4 feet tall, purple, dark pink, white flowers.
‘Alert’ purplish-red flowers, 1.5-2 feet tall.
Sky Blue aster-Symphyotrichum oolentangiense, 3 feet tall with light blue flowers.
Prairie aster – Symphyotrichum turbinellum, 3-4 feet tall with lavender flowers.
Mary Jane Frogge
Please join us next week for our GRO Big Red Virtual Learning Series, Wednesday, September 11 at 12 p.m. Extension Associates, Scott Evans and I will discuss pollinator habitats and plant selection.
Register at: https://hles.unl.edu/grobigred
Mary Jane Frogge
On July 31, Lincoln and Omaha experienced a severe thunderstorm with strong wind. Unfortunately this resulted in massive tree damage. We are still in the clean up process here in Lincoln.
There are opportunities to use this tree debris to benefit our pollinator habitats. Large branches can be cut into logs and holes can be drilled for leaf cutter bees. The Creating a Solitary Bee Hotel publication can assist you in drilling the correct hole size: https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g2256/2021/html/view
Large logs and branch bundles can be placed in natural areas where tree leaves are allowed to collect to benefit pollinators and wildlife. These are great nesting areas or provide winter protection.
Twigs and branches can also be used to create insect hotels. They also provide nesting areas and provide winter protection, but look tidy and organized in the landscape.
Mary Jane Frogge
We have a great collection of native flowers blooming in the Cherry Creek Pollinator Habitat right now. Lincoln has been fortunate to have had a good amount of rain the past few months. Summer blooming native plants are so important to pollinators. It is good to have a variety and have them in mass plantings.
Native plants that have bloomed in the habitat this summer include: cup plant, Joe-pye weed, hoary vervain, partridge pea, brown-eyed Susan, butterfly milkweed, wild bergamot, compass plant, St. John’s-wort, chicory, purple bergamot, leadplant, fleabane and purple coneflower. Enjoy the summer flowers!
Mary Jane Frogge
Pollinator Week is an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by pollinators like bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles. The week of June 17-23 will spotlight a unique opportunity to learn more about some fascinating and important animals. Often overlooked or misunderstood, pollinators are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food that we eat. Beginning in 2006, pollinators started to decline rapidly in numbers. Participating in Pollinator Week can help save these important animals.
What you can do to help pollinators:
Identify pollinators. Continue to educate yourself on pollinators that live in your area. You might already know many of the pollinators that visit your habitat. If you need help with identification, here are a few references to assist you.
Who are Pollinators? https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/about-pollinators
Identifying Pollinators: https://ipollinate.illinois.edu/identifying-pollinators/
Field Guide to Bees: https://extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/BeginnerBeeFieldGuide_LowRezWeb_28Feb2022.pdf
Guide to Minnesota Bumble Bees: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13FZZPSPyZRVSg8qUJX7lqOwNdhTNrYAH/view
Avoid pesticides in your home landscape. As you know, pesticides, including herbicides and fungicides, can harm our native pollinators. Read label directions before using any pesticide products.
Protecting Pollinators when using pesticides: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-68
Plant more plants. If you have the space, add plants to your pollinator habitat using native plants. You can also add plants for specific pollinators like butterflies, native bees and bumble bees.
Pollinator Friendly Native Plant Lists: https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-friendly-plant-lists
Butterflies and Moths: https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/3/120507/files/2023/04/2023-Butterfly-and-Moth-Handout-FINAL.pdf
Specialist Bees: https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/3/120507/files/2023/02/2022-Specialist-Bee-Handout-Final-223.pdf
Bumble bees: https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/3/120507/files/2023/03/2022-Bumble-Bee-Handout-final-3-6-23.pdf
Provide nesting sites. Consider adding bee houses or insect hotels for pollinators.
Nesting & Overwintering Habitat: https://xerces.org/publications/fact-sheets/nesting-overwintering-habitat
Create a Smart Habitat: https://pollinators.msu.edu/sites/_pollinators/assets/File/Invite%20pollinators%20to%20your%20garden%20by%20creating%20smart%20habitat.pdf
Water feature. Provide or add another water source such as a bird bath, small pond or water feature.
Water for Pollinators: https://monroe.cce.cornell.edu/master-gardeners/pollinator-friendly-gardens/water-and-shelter-for-pollinators
Establish green corridors. Work with your neighbors to include several backyards in a pollinator habitat plan.
Wildlife Corridors: https://www.growingwithnature.org/wildlife-corridors/
Attend a pollinator event. Check these web sites for events in your area:
Pollinator Partnership: https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week/activities
Nebraska Game and Parks: https://outdoornebraska.gov/about/press-events/events/pollinator-week/
Share with others. Please share information and your knowledge with family, friends, neighbors and community members.
Pollinator Partnership: http://pollinator.org/
Xerces Society: https://xerces.org/
Happy Pollinator Week, Mary Jane Frogge
No Mow May started in 2019 in the United Kingdom do to the documented over mowing and loss of meadows that resulted in the distressing decline of native plants and pollinators. This concept really does not apply to our bluegrass and fescue lawns. These manicured green spaces are usually void of native pollinator plants and need to be mowed.
I have included two articles that discuss this concept and help us decide where No Mow would be successful in our area.
It’s OK to mow in May—the best way to help pollinators is by adding native plants
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-pollinators-adding-native.html
Should you skip #NoMowMay and #PlantMayFlowers instead?
If you finished both articles, they recommend planting more pollinator plants. Here are a few lists to help you add plants to your pollinator habitat. You can also add plants for specific pollinators like butterflies, native bees and bumble bees.
Mary Jane Frogge
Pollinator Friendly Native Plant Lists: https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-friendly-plant-lists
Butterflies and Moths: https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/3/120507/files/2023/04/2023-Butterfly-and-Moth-Handout-FINAL.pdf
Specialist Bees: https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/3/120507/files/2023/02/2022-Specialist-Bee-Handout-Final-223.pdf
Bumble bees: https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/3/120507/files/2023/03/2022-Bumble-Bee-Handout-final-3-6-23.pdf
Trees support our well-being and our planet’s health. They provide shade, which cools our outdoor and indoor living areas. Trees have been proven to calm us and reduce stress levels.
Trees support wildlife and our ecosystem. An oak tree attracts and supports pollinators and beneficial insects. Trees provide birds and animals with food and nesting areas. Planting one tree can make a difference.
Attend an Arbor Day event to celebrate and learn more about trees.
Arbor Day LNK 2024 is Sunday, April 28th from 12:30 to 3:30 pm at Antelope Park.
Learn more here: https://www.arborday.org/celebrate/lnk/
Mary Jane Frogge
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by Earthday.org
Here are three things you can do to celebrate Earth Day:
Attend an Earth Day event. Lincoln Earth Day 2024 is Saturday, April 20th from 10 am to 2 pm at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Learn more here: https://lincolnearthday.org/schedule/
Find a green space to enjoy. Savor the benefits of spending time outdoors! Earth Day is during National Parks Week. Saturday, April 20, 2024 – Sunday, April 28. Explore the parks around you or plan a trip to one of our amazing national parks.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/national-park-week.htm
Set up a compost pile. Compost is used as an organic amendment to improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soils. For example, adding compost to garden soil will increase the moisture holding ability and improve the drainage and aeration of clay soils. Over time, compost will create desirable soil structure making the soil easier to work. If you would like to learn more about composting, consider attending a Nebraska Extension Master Gardener composting demonstration. Dates and times are listed here: https://events.unl.edu/lancaster/search/?q=compost
Mary Jane Frogge
It is spring in the Cherry Creek Pollinator Habitat. Get outside and see what is growing and what did not make it over the winter. Now is a good time to think about what plants you could add to your pollinator habitat. The Nebraska Pollinator Habitat Certification program has an excellent list of spring, summer and fall blooming plants that are native to Nebraska. Look over the impressive plant list and also consider certifying your pollinator habitat. Learn more at this link: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/douglas-sarpy/nebraska-pollinator-habitat-certification/
Mary Jane Frogge
The Buzz at Cherry Creek 