Establishing a Bee Pasture

Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Native pollinators are getting the respect they deserve now that the imported European honey bee populations are in decline. The University of Georgia has a fact sheet on pollination titled Establishing a Bee Pasture, which focuses on field borders, unproductive acreage and woodland edges. But we can mimic these practices in our yards with minor adjustments. They give suggestions for three types. A single year design, based on annuals, a multi-year installation that combines reseeding annuals, and perennial herbaceous and woody shrubs. But the one I want to downsize for my side yard is called permanent productive. If you join me and plant trees and woody shrubs that will live for fifty or more years, our efforts can support bees, flies, butterflies and moths for generation after generation. Fall is the best time of year to plant, let’s get started.