(upbeat music) >>When I think about communities, we all kind of have a responsibility to do what we can to help members of our community, including the ones that aren't necessarily two-legged.

>>Plants flower in response to day length.

Insects emerge from hibernation based on temperature.

So we are having warmer winters and warmer springs, and the insects and the plants aren't coinciding with each other so they don't have food, which is really disturbing of course.

>>Production funding for "Virginia Home Grown" is made possible by the Mary Roper Davis and Robert Poore Roper Memorial Fund and by.

(critters chirping) (lively music) (lively music continues) (lively music continues) >>Welcome to "Virginia Home Grown."

While some of us are in drought, the others are dealing with too much rain, and boy, what a July this has been.

Today we're highlighting pollinators and we'll visit different growing spaces designed to support them.

We'll be answering your questions a little later, so go ahead and send those in at vpm.org/vhg.

They can be for our guests, and other questions about growing and gardening that you may have.

In the second half of our show, we visit Jim Hurley and Susan Roth in Stanardsville to see how they transformed a traditional formal garden into a pollinator haven and cultivated a meadow full of native grasses and wildflowers.

But first, I visited Mermaid City Flowers in Norfolk to meet with Dee Hall Goodwin and learn how her cut flower business feeds the community of insects.

Let's get going.

>>Well, Dee, this is very unique.

Here I am coming to talk to you about your gardens, but we're at somebody else's house and your gardens are here.

>>We are.

It started out with me growing flowers, cut flowers, in my own front garden.

>>And then I had a neighbor who saw me out there and asked what I was doing and offered up his own growing space.

And then I put out a call for additional space about a year later when I needed to expand.

And there were people who were happy to jump on the bandwagon and not have to cut grass, because I would be out there, you know, growing cut flowers and maintaining them.

>>That's awesome.

So what type of flowers do you grow?

'Cause I mean this is a beautiful space.

It came with all these hydrangeas, I'm assuming, and... >>It did.

So I grow all types of things.

We have a really long growing season here.

So it starts with hellebore in the early spring, anemones, ranunculus kind of bulbs and corms, and will continue through late fall with lots of native plants, things that are great for pollinators.

I say anything is up for being cut as long as it does well in a vase.

>>Right.

>>So a variety of things.

>>That's fantastic.

How do you choose the plants you're gonna grow?

>>So I started, I grew a lot of native plants.

Norfolk is ground zero for climate change.

We're a coastal town.

>>Right.

>>And I wanted to do things that would help mitigate some of the nuisance flooding that I had in my neighborhood, and also at my property.

And so that was my first selection for natives, for things that did well for pollinators.

I had moved from Virginia Beach where I saw goldfinches, for instance, and I wasn't seeing them.

>>Right.

>>And so I wanted to attract them and started kind of doing some research to see, what do they like?

Okay.

Well they like echinacea they like coneflower.

They love the sunflowers, they eat the seed heads.

And I like to say the garden is some for me and the cut flower business, and some for all the various pollinators that we have here.

>>So you've embraced, I'll say sustainability theory of growing some for you, but yet leaving a lot for the wildlife as well.

>>For sure.

It's part of not just my business model, but part of my life.

And so that was really important to me to, you know, make sure I incorporated that into my work as well, and be able to use it as a teaching and education tool.

>>That's fantastic.

But here now we have a garden in full sun and raised beds.

Quite opposite of the natural garden that we just walked through.

>>So this is production garden here.

It's a little bit different than the more naturalistic plantings.

>>Yeah.

>>And this is year two, so it's a little bit, you know, still a trial and error experiment.

Some things are doing really well here.

Like the mountain mint is covered in pollinators right now.

>>Yes.

Always a favorite.

>>Yeah.

Ageratum is doing well.

I've got coneflower here.

There is heavy pest pressure with adorable bunnies, raccoons, birds that leave shells and all kinds of things.

And I'm gonna add more allium next year.

>>Excellent.

>>I try to concentrate on the health of the soil and choosing plants that do well without a lot of input from me necessarily, without a lot of water, which is why native plants make a great choice again.

I try to stagger planting.

So there are lots of things that you can grow, mums, for instance.

>>Yes.

>>Take several plantings and you can have them grow throughout the seasons.

But it's also pretty easy to find native plants that bloom from pretty early in the year, or to, here, we're lucky enough to have a season that goes until October or November.

>>Yes.

>>Depending on the weather.

>>Yeah.

Well, how many locations do you have, Dee?

>>So I'm growing actively in four different plots right now.

Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less depending on the year and what the needs are for the business.

But that's where I am right now.

>>I imagine there's different soil types at those locations, so how do you handle that?

>>I tend to bring in and build up soil.

There's a farmer here who has really amazing compost and soil with biochar.

>>Wonderful.

Yes.

>>And so I, rather than trying to, you know, do soil tests and kind of go back in and, you know, make changes to the soil, I tend to build up, which is another reason that I tend to do raised beds.

It's a little more controlled that way.

As much as we can control anything - >>Yes.

Yes.

>>that's in the environment.

>>Yes, exactly.

What kind of mulches do you use?

>>Actually, strawberries.

>>Really.

You're not saying the strawberry itself?

>>Yeah.

So strawberry plants, they're evergreen here.

They are low growing.

>>Yes.

>>They will keep the soil cool.

So they are one of my favorite mulches to use.

I also like to overcrowd plants as another technique.

>>Yes.

>>To rather than, you know, having to worry about pulling weeds, which we're all gonna have weeds, but if I can minimize the number of weeds I'm gonna have, that's a good way to do so.

>>Let the plant shade the soil.

>>Right.

>>By being so tight together.

>>Yes.

Yes.

And that's a good way to do that.

I really try not to fight against what's already existing or what we see when we look at, you know, meadows or natural planting areas, how they exist.

>>Right.

>>It's not a traditional farm in that there are, you know, rows of different things that are in barrier cloth and you know, we need to pick the weeds out of them, et cetera, yeah.

>>So you do drifts of things and allow them to weave together.

>>Yes.

Yes.

And that's also great for pollinators.

I'll plant stuff specifically for them.

Like, I grow fennel, you know, and cilantro and milkweed.

I like to interplant those with the things I'm growing so I can cut some things for me, and then hopefully they'll direct their energy towards those things they might enjoy a little more than the plants that I have for production.

>>Well Dee, I noticed that you also have a succession of bloom here.

You have things that have bloomed and things that have yet to bloom in this garden.

>>Yeah, so I think about the garden, you know, as a whole year calendar.

So, flowers that go from early spring, February, through, you know, November, October or November.

I stagger planting so that there's always something in bloom.

>>Yeah, and you know, that's wonderful for pollinators because we forget about our spring and fall pollinators.

>>For sure.

>>So it's excellent to have that.

But also, it's good for your business.

>>Yeah.

>>Yeah, youve got quite a fun business too.

>>Yeah!

So, I have a Floral CSA subscription that goes from spring to fall.

I also do farmer's market that starts in April, so of course you need blooms for that.

And then I do workshops, seasonal workshops, different themes.

For instance, like in March there was a Dutch Masters theme because that's when you have, you know, the tulips.

>>Yeah.

The tulips and such.

>>Anenomes, et cetera.

>>Yes.

>>That we think of.

And then I have a summer blooms one upcoming, and we'll have dahlias and sunflowers, and then of, course, all the cool natives.

I do a native floral arranging workshop.

So there's always something to cut and to learn and to share.

I really take a holistic approach to the garden.

It's not just about the two-legged creatures here.

There are lots of flora and fauna.

>>Yes.

>>And I want this to be a garden where I can share with the creatures that are existing, and I'm not trying to get rid of them or push them away, rather, I welcome them in the pollinator garden.

I know how important it is.

We just had the monarch butterfly make a comeback off the endangered list.

And so we see how important it is for people to be out here and doing things that support their habits.

>>Yes.

And our actions make a difference.

>>For sure.

>>And even our lack of action makes a difference.

>>Definitely.

Yeah.

>>Thank you.

Thank you for sharing this and thank you for having us out.

>>Thank you for coming!

>>I feel we need to follow Dee's lead by not only focusing on our personal, or in her case, business needs, but to take into account the needs of the insects and birds, which pollinate our flowers as we plan, and then manage, a landscape or garden.

And now, Alejandro Del-Pozo, assistant professor of entomology at Virginia Tech, joins me to show us how each flower is like a treasure map, plus, what pollinators really need to thrive in our gardens.

But before we get started, remember to send in your gardening questions on our website at vpm.org/vhg.

Well, Alejandro, you've got quite an array of things here from insects to flowers, spot on for the topic.

(both chuckling) >>Absolutely, thank you for bringing me here.

So I'd like to talk about how amazing insects are, especially the pollinators.

So I have here a little bit of a show and tell.

You know, we have all the different insects that we can look when we are looking at our gardens and pollinator gardens as well.

Here are the big ones, the showy ones, right?

>>Yes.

>>We have the beetles that can interact with the flowers as well, some of the bees.

And then, to be more specific, since now we're talking about pollinators, we can move to show the actual array of this different, you know, in this case, will be the Hymenopteras, the bees and wasps.

So we have the bees, the native bees, over here.

We have the bumblebees, right?

And then, there's some of the, you know, the wasps, and other wasps as well, they're gonna be going after some of the preys that are actually going around as well.

It's just fascinating how- >>The good guys.

>>The good guys, yes, yes.

So when we have all those caterpillars that are not treating well, these guys are gonna take care of that.

So these are the group of pollinators that we bring for the show and tell.

>>Yes, but flower wise, those pollinators are attracted to the flowers.

>>Yes.

>>And the flowers actually have, I'll say, evolved to attract those pollinators.

>>Yes, actually, that is a really, really, so we also have a show and tell here, so we have a array of flowers and I have a UV light.

And I wanna show everybody how, you know, we'll pretend that we're going to be that pollinator.

>>Bee vision.

>>Exactly, bee vision.

And just trying to go there, navigate it, and trying to find that.

But before doing that, I'm gonna show you, you know, for example, here we have this beautiful hydrangea.

Right?

>>Yes.

>>And a hydrangea that actually offers all the pollen, and pollinators are really, really buzzing around.

>>But it's a white-colored plant.

>>Yes, yeah, so like this one, the pentas are also a white color.

And white color actually attracts not only pollinators, but also predators and beneficials.

Like syrphid flies are really attracted to the white.

There is a vast amount of research showing that syrphid flies are good for aphids and other soft-body insects.

>>Well, hold on, don't put it away yet.

>>Oh, okay.

>>Because I wanna also share that these two plants actually have two different forms of flowers.

>>Yes.

>>So they attract different types of pollinators, because some have, what's called a umbel shape, with this penta here, versus a panicle shape, so that they have a place to stand, 'cause they're not hoverers, you know?

>>Yep.

>>And so different shapes of flowers are equally as important as the color.

>>Absolutely, and the architecture of the plant is also really important.

Sometimes having those flowers being really, really presented in front of the insect actually helps to be more attractive so the insect have easy access to that.

So not only the architecture of the flower, but also the architecture of the plant as well.

>>Super, let's move on, 'cause we wanna get to the good stuff.

>>Yeah, absolutely.

So now we have the beautiful natives, the black-eyed Susans, these guys are amazing.

These guys are the ones that brings all the pollinators.

We've seen not only bees, and bumblebees, and native bees, but also some of the syrphid flies, and some of the other beetles and butterflies as well.

>>Yes, yes.

>>And then, we have marigolds and that type of flowers would also bring some of the pollinators.

But, you know, there is some research about how the good benefits of marigold in terms of pest management, and actually how they can be inter-cropped with other flowers and plants.

>>They become a trap crop.

>>Yes, yes.

>>They trap the bad guys.

>>They could, they could.

And then, also with the flower, they attract the beneficials.

So it's a perfect combo.

>>Absolutely.

>>And it's good.

They're beautiful, they're flowering right now.

So this is a great option if somebody's thinking about putting in a garden.

>>And then, we have more colors.

>>Yes, yes, so we do have some of the, you know, reddish and some of the purple.

And these are the different ones that, you know, we would like and suggest, for the people that are interested, to bring all that diversity of colors, and shapes, and forms for any pollinator garden that you wanted to do.

>>Absolutely.

And now, because these flowers actually have some special attributes for bees.

>>Yes, so the idea is that now bees and other insects can cue on a specific UV light that is reflected from the flowers.

It's like having a bullseye.

And then, you're gonna travel and navigate to, and go to the good stuff, which are the pollen.

>>Well, let's show everybody.

So let's bring the lights down and we can show everybody just how cool this is.

And we've never done this before, so we're very excited.

So you've got a UV light?

>>Yes, so we're pretending that we're navigating the landscape in the system.

And then, all of a sudden, we have this- >>Look at that.

>>Look at how they pop that center.

And then, the pedals good, the contrast.

That's the great idea.

So that's when the vision comes into play, the insects are looking for the good stuff, the treasure, they go after that, right?

>>Yes.

And the sparkle is part of the flower.

>>Yes, some of them will have the sparkle, some of them will have some sort of, what we call, the guides that will actually- >>Right, the nectar guide.

>>It's like having an airport.

>>Yes.

>>If you speak, right?

>>Yeah.

>>And then, we have here the purple one that also is similar to that.

>>The cosmos, yes.

>>Exactly, the cosmos.

Cosmos' are amazing, great for the pollinators as well.

So you can see how, you know, using this UV light is kind of pretending how the- >>The bee.

>>The pollinator, the bee, and some other insect can see that.

>>And you could see how those spots are just drawing them down into the center where the nectar is.

>>Exactly, exactly.

Again, it's a bullseye.

>>It's a treasure map.

>>It's a bullseye effect, right?

>>Yes.

>>And all of that, so that is really amazing.

>>Well, Alejandro, this is so exciting, because when we look at flowers, we just think of colors and such.

We need to start thinking of shapes.

>>Absolutely.

>>We need to start thinking of colors, but we also need to start thinking about the UV ones that the bees look into.

>>Yeah, that will be the add on.

So now it's a good topic that everybody is aware, so the flowers are co-evolved with the pollinators.

And showing all these different resources, including those UV marks that are really, really great to make sure that they're gonna get a pollinator, and that's the beauty.

>>Well, you know, I think people are gonna go out and look at their gardens differently.

I encourage people to take an inventory.

>>Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.

>>And to fill in the blanks.

>>Absolutely, absolutely.

>>This has been fun.

>>Oh, thank you, yeah.

>>Thank you.

And now we're going to get ready to answer your questions, but first, Shana Williams explains the benefit to pollinators when plants go to seed in the garden, and how she saves seeds too.

(upbeat music) >>One thing that I enjoy about gardening is allowing some of my lettuce and different produce to go to seed.

They bring in so many pollinators.

So right here is I have some romaine lettuce and various types of lettuce, but what I often do is I inter-sow tomato or pepper plants in those.

They are bringing in my pollinators, and as they bring in my pollinators, they get a chance to have some food, but they're also hanging around, so when my tomatoes and peppers start to blossom and bloom, the pollinators also migrate to those areas as well.

So you see some beautiful blossoms, but here you also see that some of them have started to close up.

That means that they've been pollinated and they're starting to form their seed pods.

Now this one is still not ready yet.

So over here I have some that are starting to turn brown and they're dried.

I'll take those seed pods and I'll open it up.

But I noticed that this one is still kind of wet, so I don't wanna harvest it when it's wet.

I wanna make sure that it's dry.

I also have some carrot seeds and I have some beet seeds here.

And these carrot seeds I allowed to dry on the stem as well as the beet seeds before I cut them.

Or I can just simply cut them when they're slightly green and allow them to dry fully in the greenhouse or any area that has low humidity.

So I have a jar here.

I'm gonna slide some of my beet seeds into this jar.

Don't close that jar right away, because if I seal this container and there's still moisture, mold will form, my seeds will basically, they won't be viable for me to be able to plant them in the coming year.

This right here is arugula.

On larger quantities, will take my seeds either in a bag or a plastic container, and I will break them up.

And knowing that I'm getting hundreds of hundreds of seeds just in a small little stalk, you always wanna make sure that you label your containers.

And I'll put the year on it, because that's very important.

And then once I do that, I'll just transfer those seeds into this bag.

But the key thing is I still, once again, I do not close the bag.

I leave the bag still open, because that will allow all the moisture to escape.

When I allow things to go to seed, my pollinators get plenty of food.

And then at the same time, I know that I'll have seeds for next year to be able to add seeds to my garden.

So why don't you try doing this?

Happy gardening.

>>Shana and everybody else of our team is usually on Facebook, but today, we're having some problems with that.

So I can always say that you can connect with us and send in your questions through our website at vpm.org/vhg.

But today, we have Serome Hamlin with us and we welcome Serome here to the show.

>>Hey.

>>So we've got an exciting show ahead of us.

>>Yes, we do.

>>Yes.

>>Thank you for having me.

>>Oh, of course, of course.

So where do we start today with our questions?

>>First, I would like to ask, is there anything else that you wanted to add to what you just demonstrated?

Insects are very important and interesting, so if there's anything else you would like to add?

>>Absolutely.

Thanks for asking that.

I would say, as a rule of thumb, if you're interested to promote the presence of pollinators, plant anything that blooms.

Get it started.

Get out there.

Do the planting.

As long as something that's gonna bloom, the pollinators are gonna come and find it.

So I think it's us doing our best to do those pollinators and get those gardened, and then you get familiarized with that.

We were talking with Peggy about flowers, and shapes, and colors, that will be maybe a second layer that you might be interested.

But again, to summarize it, I think plant something that blooms and just go out there, enjoy.

I think that will be the best.

>>So if you plant it, they will come.

>>Yes.

>>Hey, yes, yes, yes.

>>And I always think it, if we all think of it as a jigsaw puzzle, all of our properties, we could connect that jigsaw puzzle together- >>Mm-hmm.

>>Ooh, absolutely.

>>If we all planted- >>Yup.

>>Some of those flowers.

Rather than doubt, just grab it and go, and get some seed- >>A lot of magic starts- >>Do some planting.

>>With just one seed.

>>A lot of magic starts with just one seed- >>Yup.

>>So.

>>Yes.

So we've got some questions that have come in.

So let's start off with this one.

And, "How long do pollinators hibernate," is what the question is.

>>Ooh.

Okay.

>>"And at what point in spring is it safe to clean up the stalks of plants from the previous season?"

>>Okay, so depending on the type of insect, there are some of them, they're gonna be as an adult, and they're gonna have their nest or they're gonna have something, or even the debris.

So when the weather conditions go, especially the lower temperatures, they're gonna want it to be protected.

So having those habitats will definitely helped.

Do a hard cleanup might actually be not that beneficial, but you would really want to have those refuge for the pollinators to even bridge that winter.

So I would say something along the lines of getting late February, March, at least for us in the East- >>Yeah.

>>In the Eastern part where the beautiful Virginia Beach where I'm located, maybe somewhere between the late February, early March, is when you start seeing those guys waking up, right?

Because the temperatures are gonna start.

So they're really in tune with temperatures.

Depending on, again, the type of insects, some of them are gonna be adults, some of them are gonna be immature.

So I will encourage people to go out and look for them.

>>Mm-hmm.

And it's funny enough that you've ended like that because it kinda rolls into what the next question is gonna be.

>>Oh, oh, excellent.

Oh, man, that's amazing.

(Peggy laughs) >>"And with our winters not being as cold, should we worry about the pollinators not going into a hibernation point?"

>>Well, and this is my perspective on over winter and having this some sort of resting, right, period, insects are really in tune.

If temperatures let them develop and grow and all that, they're gonna be really happy.

They're gonna be really prolific.

They're gonna utilize all the resources.

Warmer temperatures are gonna mean that there will be longer periods where the pollinators are gonna be present.

So in a sense, we might have some benefits, we might have not.

So the idea is that that temperature really correlates directly with the insects, and it's something that we need to keep in mind.

>>Mm-hmm.

Yeah, good to know.

>>I have a question for you, because I'm seeing less bumblebees at my house, and I'm gonna say it, I'm even having less Japanese beetles at my house.

(all chuckling) And that intense heat that we had, does that have anything to do with it?

>>Absolutely.

So the cycles that we have, the hurricanes, and the storms that are coming, everything, the rains, and if it's really rainy in specific periods, so all of that is gonna influence what we see.

So I think, and again, I wanna emphasize the fact that insects are so in tune with those things, and we need to be aware of that, that anything those changes are gonna be, so for example, having those refuge, having that garden that provides shade and cooler temperatures are gonna help when those heat spells comes in, and they're gonna be looking for those refuge with the pollen, with the nectar, with all of that.

So I'm glad that we are becoming aware of those things.

>>Right.

>>Mm-hmm.

Well, good.

>>Yes.

>>Need to plant more shade.

>>And now Craig is asking, (Peggy chuckles) this is gonna be kind of a tricky question, but- >>Oh, okay.

>>"Are fireflies pollinators?"

>>Ooh, Craig, oh, my goodness.

(Serome laughs) Well, based on the habitat, and this is my opinion, based on the habitat, it will be a little difficult to be some sort of a pollinator when you are in the understory of a forest where the fireflies are gonna be.

And in our suburban habitats, fireflies like to be on those woody areas where sometimes, because of the shade, there's not that many flowers or things that are flowering.

On the other hand, though, we have seen, and we have some research at the Hampton Roads Resource Extension where I'm located in Virginia Beach, that we see some beetles actually interacting with open flowers and moving things around.

>>Wow.

>>Beetles are part of the pollinators, though they're forgotten.

They're the ones that we don't take into account.

But then you ask, "Hey, Alejandro, now I want beetles."

But beetles are not as efficient as bees, and native bees, and other ones.

So have it clear that we want to plant something for the pollinators.

And there are all these different groups, especially the more efficient ones, which will be the bees and everything related to that.

But yeah, beetles could be a pollinator as well.

>>Yeah, I noticed with our southern magnolia flowers, when you look inside of those, the beetles are in there.

>>Yup.

>>You won't see any bees.

>>Yes.

>>You'll see the beetles.

And I consider 'em kind of like the construction crew, (Serome and Alejandro chuckling) the construction vehicles, and just big and bumbly and kinda awkward.

>>They're moving the pollen back and forth.

>>Uh-huh, that's right.

>>Yeah.

>>And some of the beetles will jump to the other flower, and you know?

>>Yes.

>>So that is how they- >>Yeah.

>>Really play a role.

>>That's just like even- >>They're not efficient, but they get the job done.

>>They get the job done, yes.

(Peggy laughs) >>That's another one.

There's pollinators people don't think about.

I mean, even flies- >>Yeah.

>>Yes.

>>Pollinate a lot of- >>Absolutely, absolutely, flies.

>>Yes.

>>Especially hoverflies and all these different flies that, the little metallic ones that we see over there.

So I encourage people to take a look at their garden, paying attention to them.

Sometimes also the flies are the forgotten ones.

>>Yeah.

>>Mm-hmm.

>>And we can see that there is some sort of this distribution.

Well, the bees definitely are the most efficient, but we have beetles, and flies, and all these different insects that are interacting with flowers.

>>Yeah.

>>Yeah.

>>Now, do you have a favorite insect?

>>Do I have a fave?

That's one of the toughest.

>>That's really putting you on the spot.

>>That would be like asking, do you have a favorite plant?

(all laughing) >>That depends on the day.

>>Oh.

(Peggy laughs) >>Yeah.

>>I will go with the minute pirate bug.

The minute pirate bug kinda sounds like really rah rah rah, right, because it's a pirate, but it's teeny-tiny but mighty.

Minute pirate bugs are, it's beneficial.

Actually, it piercing-sucking, has all this needle-like structures as a mouthpart, and they just go and kill all these insects that are not supposed to be there, but in terms of balance.

So it's a good guy that it's small, but also takes care of that.

So it's teeny but mighty.

(Peggy and Serome laughing) >>I love it.

Well, now I have to ask- >>That's what's up.

>>What is your favorite plant of the day?

(laughs) >>Ooh, you're on the spot.

>>What is my favorite plant of the day?

>>You're on the spot.

>>As of as of right now, I would say it'll be Joe-Pye weed.

>>Ah.

>>Ooh.

>>It's been blooming now for about week and a half, almost two weeks, and it's still going strong, and it has attracted a ton of pollinators.

>>Mm.

>>So I've been seeing a lot of different things that I haven't noticed through the years.

>>Excellent.

Well, mine, I can't grow Joe-Pye weed 'cause it's too dry, but mine is anise hyssop, the Agastaches.

>>Mm-hmm.

>>Again, for the same reason.

It's just loaded with pollinators right now.

>>Wow.

>>And as you walk by, plant almost moves.

>>Mm-hmm.

>>And the deer don't bother it- >>Bother it.

>>At all.

>>Oh, good.

>>I'm glad I don't have- >>Which in my world is important.

>>The deer pressure.

>>Yes, yes.

(Peggy laughs) >>Yes, I'm lucky I don't have the deer pressure.

>>Yes, (laughs) you are so lucky you don't have (Serome chuckles) the deer pressure.

(laughs) We have seconds left.

Do we have any more that we can finish real super quick, or should we wait?

(chuckles) >>Someone has asked, "Using strawberries as green mulch."

>>Well- >>"Can that be done west of Richmond?"

>>Ooh.

>>A few days ago, I was with the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers.

We were in the Northern Neck.

And one of the gardeners up there used the green mulch.

I can't remember if it was Irvington, or Kilmarnock, or Reedville.

>>Wow, amazing.

>>So I can answer that that way.

And I know that it's hardy in the western part of the state, so I would say yes.

>>Mm-hmm, say yes.

>>Good.

>>Yeah, all righty.

>>They're pretty tough plants.

>>Pretty tough plant.

Well, that's all the time we have right now, but we look forward to answering more questions later in the show, so please keep them coming.

And next, Dr. Robyn Puffenbarger visited Jim Hurley and Susan Roth at their private home garden in Stanardsville to see how they're working to support pollinators by transforming traditional landscaping and planting meadows.

Jim always says, "The garden is a living space that evolves over time," so let's take a look.

>>Susan, this is an incredible garden, just full of color and shapes and sizes and all of these pollinators, I've seen so many different species of bees and butterflies already and I'm hearing lots of birds.

So can you tell me how did this come to be?

Is this all you?

>>Much of it is me.

We've been here for 10 years, but the garden was put in by the previous owner and it has a formal structure.

There are rock walls that are made from stone here, from from the land here, and it has a formal design with this terrace in the middle and there are paths on both sides so you can walk through the garden.

I left the peonies here, which were the previous owner's favorite.

And then I started planting a lot of native plants because I knew they would attract pollinators and attract birds.

For instance, the purple cone flower, goldfinches eat the seeds in the winter, so I don't cut it down.

I leave everything in the garden stand during the winter and just cut it down in March.

Other interesting plants I have planted is the Agastache at the corners, four corners of this garden for symmetry that gives the garden some structure, but they are full of bees and it smells really good.

Another native I put in was milkweed.

I planted common milkweed, not realizing that it spreads underground by rhizomes.

I put it where I wanted a tall plant and it left there and started showing up in other places.

So if it's where I don't want it, I just yank it out.

But it's a really good plant because it is host to the caterpillar of the monarch butterfly.

So we have had in the past a lot of monarch butterflies here and the caterpillars are quite showy and they do eat holes in the milkweed leaves, but that's part of their lifecycle.

And then we get the beautiful butterflies.

>>And sitting here, I'm just noticing what wonderful shade you have right on the front of the house.

On that structure, what kinds of plants are those?

>>They're two native vines.

The Virginia Creeper, I say we let it grow.

It came by itself and we thought that was a good thing and it's grown up and over and given us shade.

And we've planted trumpet honeysuckle, which is a native species of honeysuckle and that has little red flowers on it and hummingbirds like that.

>>One of the flowers I notice that you have here in the landscape is your coreopsis.

It really adds a, just a gorgeous pop of yellow.

>>Yes, it's a native, but it's also a very popular garden plant.

And that's a cultivar called moonbeam.

I love its fine texture.

I try to contrast fine textures with bold textures.

The milkweed is very bold with huge leaves >>And I see a lot of black-eyed or brown-eyed Susans.

Those look really nice in here.

>>They seed themselves around, they're native, and if if they plant themselves where I like them, I leave them.

If not, I transplant them.

Also, we do have, day lilies aren't native, but they aren't invasive so I don't worry about them.

And this, these yellow ones for instance, are often just full of bees.

>>And I understand one of the things y'all have done historically is to actually have enthusiasts come out and do surveys of your pollinators.

So you actually know what species you have year-to-year and how many of each type you have each year.

>>Yes.

We have someone who's an amateur lepidopterist, which is someone who specializes in moss and butterflies and he looks in the garden as well as in in the fields where we planted native plants.

We've replaced hay fields with native grasses and wild flowers to create habitat for insects, birds, other wildlife.

>>Well it's so inspiring to see a smaller area where you have a native predominance but with some other non-natives that you enjoy.

But it would be great to see the meadows.

Is it okay if we go over and see that with Jim?

>>Sure.

He loves to show it off.

>>I am seeing here one of my favorite native plants, the Monarda or bee balm.

It seems like you've planted a lot of that.

>>We have.

And it is just a fabulous pollinator plant and attracts all kinds of bees and butterflies.

Clear wing moths as well.

And there's a bumble bee that just landed on on a flower head right there.

And we're at the perfect time.

Full flower time for Monarda.

>>And I think it's a lovely contrast to see the Monarda with the yarrow.

Many people might confuse this with Queen Anne's lace, which is a non-native plant, but this is one of our great natives.

>>You're right, very, very easily confused.

Queen Anne's lace has a little bit different shaped flower head than than yarrow does.

And they're in the same family, so they look very similar.

But this is a plant that was already here.

It was in the seed bank when we planted this field in 2017.

Did not have to include it in the seed mix.

It's doing very well.

>>And I'm not seeing them right now, but we have seen several of our state butterfly, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, I'm looking for them, but they are moving around and really enjoying this habitat that you've created.

>>Yeah.

>>And then you are talking about this one, Marestail?

>>This is Marestail.

This is a species that is an early arrival in a young field and will be the first to establish once you open up a lot of bare ground.

>>That's one I feel like I see spit bugs on a lot.

So you see this awesome, what looks like somebody has been doing a little foam to it and, oh and fleabane.

>>And fleabane as well.

When we first planted this meadow, this field was a swath of white from the bottom to the top and all the way across.

When given a chance to express, it just exploded.

>>But then it looks like you've done a very good job of making it so that many different things are gonna come in succession, so the pollinators have a constant source of nectar and pollen for feeding, plus the host plants that their larva would need to grow on.

>>Yeah, that that's a great point on plant selection, to try to select plants that will bloom throughout the season from April all the way through September and October.

That goldenrod out there, that's early golden rod.

Typically most species of golden rod flower in late August, September timeframe.

This is early golden rod or Solidago juncea.

We also have gray goldenrod in here or Solidago nemoralis and that's kinda a later July or or early August.

And then all this white that's in here too is Parthenium integrifolium or wild quinine.

And it blooms fairly early.

It has a long, beautiful blooming season.

This has been in bloom probably for six weeks, something like that.

>>Wow.

>>And it's got a, got a distance to go and it probably will last even longer if we had a little bit more rain.

>>Well, thank you so much, Jim, for showing us around in this amazing pollinator meadow.

It's really an inspiration in terms of the plants and the number of species that we've seen.

>>You are very welcome, Robyn.

Great to have you here.

>>The diversity of plants has created a habitat that thrives in both drought and moisture conditions, due to the deep rooting capacity of native plants.

Despite the local dry conditions of early July, all of the plants survived.

To document the success of this landscape, for years, Jim and Susan continued to invite Mike Smith to perform an annual survey of butterflies.

The years of data prove native plants are best to support the caterpillars and adults of the ever-increasing variety of butterflies on this site.

It's amazing.

And now Serome is going to show us a way to make a big impact for pollinators in your backyard, be it a very small lot or multiple acres in size.

But before we begin, remember to send in your questions through our website, vpm.org/vhg.

Well, Serome, you've brought quite a lot of stuff.

>>Yeah, I had to clean up my yard so.

But, no on the serious note, pollinators are very important for our environment, and as gardeners you definitely want pollinators around.

So, we know that their habitat is being taken up.

So, what we can do to try to help is to create a habitat for them.

Now, this is what we'll call it insect hotel.

And I have already basically started this and I'm using recycled material.

>>Yes.

>>So, all you need is a basic box frame.

So, this one is actually a old beehive, which is kind of ironic.

(Peggy chuckles) So, old beehive and scrap lumber that I've had around.

>>Right.

>>Even down to part of an old dresser mirror that I just had sitting there.

So it becomes a decorative element for this.

>>Right, right.

>>Then you get to go around and you can even send kids out, be awesome, send kids out to go and scout for the materials to use to create your habitat.

>>Mm-hmm.

>>So, pieces of wood.

>>Yeah.

>>And what I've done with these is drilled holes of different sizes.

So that is what we have already filled in this level here.

>>And you've put those in very tight.

>>Yes, put it in very tight so you don't want pieces just falling out.

>>Yes.

>>So, these pieces are in very tight.

And like I said, holes of different sizes because you've got different insects that want different size homes.

>>And then you've got pine cones here.

>>Yeah, pine cones great for things to just crawl in and out of and overwinter.

>>Uh-huh.

>>Just branches.

>>Excellent, make little nooks and crannies.

>>Nooks and crannies.

>>Now would you put more than one thing in an area or do you just kind of keep it solid like you're doing?

>>That would be a personal preference, but you can mix it and put different things in.

>>Okay.

>>The insects will find what material that they prefer, so they will find the area that they like.

So, what I'm gonna start off with is let's put in some of these.

And like I said, I've got different holes.

>>I see.

>>And some with just one, smaller ones.

>>Can people see, yeah.

So nice, so different, varying, you know, varying sizes.

>>Yes.

>>Different drill bits.

(chuckles) >>Yes.

So building this, you will need some different materials.

Power saw will come in handy but not necessary.

Take a little more time, but you can do this by hand.

>>Right.

>>And it's just finding, like I said, a box.

>>Right.

>>Making a roof and making the shelves.

You don't have to be elaborate, it can just be just straight square or rectangle shelf.

>>Something simple, >>Just simple, it's just to hold the material in place.

>>Here, let me help you so we can- >>Yep.

>>Okay.

>>We'll get these in.

>>Is that the last one?

>>This'll be the last one.

>>Okay.

>>Maybe.

>>Well, that's not- >>It fits.

>>Okay.

>>It's okay.

>>There we go.

>>We would just put in something smaller.

>>Okay, and some of the insects will actually- >>Yes, and some of 'em will even- >>Create their own spaces.

>>Exactly.

>>Once you put this in, they will go in between and you can use.

>>Yeah.

>>And just- (hammer thuds) >>Pound them on in, get it tight.

And let's move on to the next one.

>>Let's go with the bamboo.

>>Okay.

>>Now, bamboo again, hollow center, so insects will go and find their way into the cavities and make their little homes to overwinter.

>>Plus it's very easy to change bamboo out after the season, 'cause we wanna clean these as well.

>>Yes, and it's actually recommended, even with pieces of wood, at least every two years to go through and change it out.

Just so you don't carry over a lot of other insects or fungal diseases or anything like that.

>>Yes.

>>Through season to season.

>>I don't know if we're gonna get all these in there, sir.

>>That's okay, I've had extra.

Always one to fill it out, I gotta have more than not enough.

>>Here we go.

>>We are cramming these in and the bamboo, too, it just makes a interesting- >>Texture.

>>Pattern, as you have them sitting.

>>Okay, we got one minute left, so let's move along.

>>So we just keep putting all this in.

>>Yep, you want it to be full, right?

>>Yes, just be completely full.

And then last, everybody has pottery that- >>Absolutely.

>>So, you can even use broken pieces of pottery and this would require being set up, but.

>>Right.

>>And this cavity, you can take in- >>Some hollow stems?

>>Some hollow stems from your seasonal cutting from the season before, that can go in, broken pieces of pottery.

And you have little nooks and crannies.

>>You can put some straw in, too.

>>Straw can go in, pine needles- >>Even some rocks, little rocks and things.

>>Rocks, and I even had brought in a ceramic.

(Peggy chuckles) And you can make it your own.

That's the idea with this, you don't have to have a set structure.

You can create this on your own and have it your own little personality into it.

>>Fantastic, you know, I thank you because this is something we can all do.

And I appreciate lending your creativity to make it even more spectacular.

>>Thank you.

>>So, I thank you and the future pollinators of this home thank you.

>>Exactly.

>>Yes.

Next, we're going to answer more of your questions, but first, Amyrose Foll has some tips to share for pollination in the vegetable garden.

What to leave to the bees, what to leave to the wind, and when you might wanna take matters into your own hands.

(light upbeat music) >>Pollinators are responsible for about one in three bites of food that we eat every day.

Pollinators need flowers to survive for their food and to thrive.

While I do love a good flower garden, vegetables have really great and really beautiful flowers as well.

We have here some Cherokee moon and stars watermelon, some squash and some corn.

And this is busy with activity from native bees and from bees from my beehive.

Corn on the other hand is wind pollinated.

A lot of gardeners get frustrated because they want to grow more than one kind of corn, or they don't want to have cross-contamination from neighbors fields.

One thing that you can do, I have corn here.

This is Monacan Tutelo corn, and then I've got Quapaw Red over there, is we separate by time.

The silks, which represent one kernel each down here on the cob only take up about 10 to 14 days of pollen from these tassels.

So if you stagger your corn plantings by about three weeks, generally you should be really safe.

So every three weeks throughout the season, I will plant another like day to harvest variety of corn.

These are kind of let go.

They're gonna do what they're doing.

I don't plant any other watermelons, but the squash we do save seed from.

So one of the things that you can do to prevent cross pollination, because different types of squash, even if it's a winter and a summer squash can in some cases cross pollinate and the bees, while they're doing their job, might do something you don't want them to do.

You're gonna take a look down here.

You can see that we've got one beautiful squash that's going to seed here.

This is a Penobscot pumpkin, and you've got male flowers, which are generally these leggier ones here that are farther away from the central vine.

And then you've got female flowers that are gonna be closer to the vine.

They're gonna have little embryonic squashes of the base that need to be pollinated in order to continue to develop.

And if you don't want your bees to cross pollinate those squash for you, you can just simply take a male flower.

You can open that up.

You're going to find the anther, which is where your pollen is, and you're gonna find a female flower and just wipe that pollen from the anther right onto the female flower.

You can also use a paintbrush, and you can simply take those male flowers, open them up, gather a little bit of that pollen on your paintbrush, and transfer it to your female flowers.

And then once you do that, you will be using just something simple like a wide painter's tape to tape those flowers shut.

Once you do that, the squash will be pollinated.

That will stay true to seed for the next generation, and you can save those seeds for next year's garden to enjoy or to share with friends.

Pollinators play a vital role both in our environment and on our plates, in farms and in our gardens.

So the next time you think about chemical pest control or weed control, give it another think.

Respect those pollinators, protect those pollinators, and try to minimize the applications that you spread around your house or around your garden.

We can all play a role in protecting our environment and those pollinators need us.

>>By understanding how each plant is pollinated, gardeners can provide a diversity of plants, with varying flower shapes and colors, sizes, and season of bloom, to meet the needs of the insects and the birds and other pollinators all season long.

Well, now Alejandro is with us again for another round of questions, so let's see what we have.

You know, there's so many good things to talk about today.

>>Yeah, but before we jump into that, that demonstration was amazing.

I would just wanna do it.

>>Oh, thank you.

That's an art.

You're doing those things, promoting the habitat.

That's what we want everyone to be aware of, and that's what we would like to promote and get out in the world, is like constructing those habitats, planting anything that can bloom.

So, amazing.

That was so great.

>>Thank you.

>>That was so great.

>>Yeah, that's a great project to do with kids, even grandkids.

>>Kids love it and, you know, and then later in the season, you can go through and you examine the habitat and See what's going in and out and what's using it.

>>Yes, yes, that's amazing.

>>Yes.

>>I have one more question, though.

From an entomology standpoint, how high should we put that hotel?

>>So, usually, we like to put things at five feet tall.

You know, you're trying to avoid things that are, you know, crawling around, and that's more about that, but then, you know, depending on your landscape, you can probably hit it or put it at whatever it's the best for you.

>>Okay, and the other thing is, I know with mason bee houses, 'cause I've dealt with those, they want 'em to face east.

>>Oh, okay.

>>So that they get the morning sun, they don't get the heat of the afternoon sun.

>>That's a great idea.

That is a great idea, that makes a lot of sense to me, too.

>>Yeah, okay, but you could put it in shade, too.

>>Yeah, you can put this in shade, and you may limit what will come to it, but if you put it out, somebody will utilize it.

>>Awesome.

>>Yeah.

Well, we have a question about, are pollinators territorial?

>>That's an interesting question.

I think they're gonna know when they need to move.

I think, though, some of them are gonna have their nest and some of them will protect them.

So, in that sense, I will say they'll have some behaviors that are gonna be showing, but overall, as like little airports, we plant it, they'll move, they go around.

They have that ability to navigate the landscape.

We saw the UV, so they're really in tune with those things.

So, I think more about having the resources out, then they exploit it, right?

>>Yeah, well, speaking of the UV and the flowers, Danny from Hanover wants to know, you know, "Does deadheading flowers affect the pollinators?"

>>I'm not sure.

I don't think, I'm not familiar with anything in terms of doing that, but I would say with something, you know, you cut it, and you're maybe thinking about that you're gonna reduce the amount of pollinators, again, they're gonna come where the flowers are.

So, if you have flowers.

If you don't, they're not gonna come, so.

>>Well, deadheading usually promotes more flowers.

>>Even better.

>>Exactly.

>>And that's what we want.

>>So, you're extending the season and giving them more opportunity.

>>I'm sorry, and you're also removing the spent flowers, so you're not taking away the good ones.

>>No.

>>Yeah.

>>Yep, those flowers have already done their job and they've moved on.

>>Yeah, exactly.

And then Cheryl from Hanover has asked, "Are there plants that should be avoided when trying to attract pollinators?"

>>Wow!

I would say any plant that flowers is welcome to my yard, so, but I think it's a great question.

I think we now are into the part that we're trying to promote that benefit for the pollinators.

So, I think it's a really valid question, but I would argue that any flower, it's actually really good, right?

>>Yeah.

>>So, you said it before, maybe not poison ivy, you know, those kind of things, but, yeah, absolutely.

>>(laughs) Oh my.

And then we have, well, Nancy from Glen Allen has asked, "What about the nighttime pollinators?"

She's got a moonflower, you know, those beautiful vines that bloom at night.

>>So good.

>>We didn't talk about- >>Moths, those are also the forgotten ones.

They are gonna move around.

They're gonna do things, you know?

It's fun to have those porch lights, and then you turn it on and you have, actually, we like to do these porch light projects, where you know what is out there in the night, and we're gonna have those moths, and those moths are gonna be visiting those flowers and doing their thing while we sleep.

>>Yeah, >>So, we're getting that benefit from them as well.

So, those are, yeah, that's a great topic.

You're talking about the night, you know, and then you have the bats and you have all these, you know, animals that are actually living through and, like, actively pollinating during that.

It's amazing, yeah, good.

>>Yeah, and what people also don't realize with the moths is our nighttime blooming plants are so fragrant.

>>Fragrant.

>>And they're also very light in color, and that's necessary to draw these pollinators to them, to make 'em light in color, but intensely fragrant.

You know, I think of even our, you know, Nicotianas, you know, our sylvestris, you know, these wonderful plants that just the, even the moonflower, the intensity, because that's their tool to draw that pollinator there.

>>Absolutely, absolutely.

Absolutely.

>>So, it's kind of fun stuff when you get really down into it.

>>Yeah.

>>You know, it's amazing.

But we do have a bee balm question, and we have a question from Chesterfield, from Mary, and she wants to know, her bee balm in a pot doesn't bloom, you know, to flower.

What could she do to make it bloom to flower?

Some are in full sun and some are in shade.

>>I would say give it more sun, but I'm wondering if it's, how long has it been in the pot?

Is it root-bound or- >>Or fertilizer.

>>Or even on the other end, how young is it?

>>Yeah, yeah, that's true 'cause plants do take time to mature, to bloom.

If it's been in the pot a long time, she's been watering and watering and watering, she's leaching those nutrients out, so she has to replace those.

And I wouldn't go heavy in nitrogen.

She might be feeding it too much nitrogen, which just keeps it growing- >>Growing.

>>When we need phosphorus, the second number, and potassium, the third number, to initiate strong cells as well as good blooms.

So, I'm gonna say that we first thought it was sunshine, but maybe we need to reevaluate the cultural conditions.

>>Yep, yeah.

>>Rather than just the location of it.

>>Especially since we've had such a dry season and everybody's been dragging hoses around.

>>Oh.

>>I could see it being leached of fertilizers.

>>Leached out, yes.

When we have potted plants, we have to fertilize 'em more.

So, and here's one for you, it's ants.

What a great way to end a show.

Anne has, "Overrun with ants," and what can she do to attract that eats them for balance?

And we have 30 seconds.

>>Okay.

So, ants will probably come because there is something else.

There may be soft-bodied insects that are producing honeydew and all this, so ants come for the reward.

So, I would really recommend that people go out and see if they can actually control that soft-bodied insect, maybe lacewings or something, you know, ladybugs, how to promote that, and then those ants are gonna slowly, you know, transition to find something else.

>>Take away their food source.

>>Exactly, exactly.

>>Yeah, sounds great.

>>Exactly.

>>Well, we're out of time, and Alejandro, thank you so much for being with us.

>>You're welcome.

>>It's been such a joy, yes, and Serome, thank you for being here and just sharing your insect hotel and your artistry.

>>Thank you for having me.

>>Yes.

And I wanna thank you for watching, and I hope everyone has learned a little more about the needs of pollinators and that we all think about how we can improve our gardens to support them.

You know, there are several ways for you to connect with us until we're back again, and you can sign up for our newsletter at vpm.org/vhg.

The team and I share tips and ideas for your garden there once a month.

Our Facebook page is also full of gardening information, so be sure to visit us there as well.

I look forward to being with you again soon, and until then, remember, gardening is for everyone, and we are all growing and learning together.

Happy gardening.

(bright instrumental music) >>Production funding for Virginia Home Grown is made possible by (bird cawing) the Mary Roper Davis and Robert Poore Roper Memorial Fund and by... (birds chirping) (bright instrumental music) (bright instrumental music continues) (bubbly electronic outro)