Welcome back to the third summer edition of Inside the Garden With Green Bridge Growers. So far we have focused on our pollinators and pollination. This blog is no different! We want to express the importance of growing a butterfly flower or better yet a butterfly weed. To be honest, Monarchs love this native bloomer. A butterfly weed or Asclepias tuberosa is a good-looking, sweet-scented plant that attracts beneficial insects of all sorts. Let’s dive a little deeper, Asclepias is a relative to the common milkweed, but does not have the sticky sap associated with the taller plant. The butterfly weed is native to many parts of North America. Here’s a cool fact, if placed in full sun, its bold orange-red flowers can bloom continuously until the first frost! In addition, hummingbirds usually love these flowers, but deer and other pests typically do not eat it. They can usually grow in any type of soil, however this weed prefers poor to rich soil. We want to help you transform your garden and encourage you to plant butterfly weed!  

Here are a couple of tips when planting butterfly weed in your garden. 

1. Don’t plant in areas where water is likely to pool
2. Start either from potted plants or seeds. 
3. Plant this flower in its permanent location because its long taproot is not easily dug up. 
4. If you can, plant butterfly weed six weeks prior to winter because it will perform  significantly better.
5. Be mindful that this plant is considered poisonous. Be sure small children and animals do not touch or eat the plants as these toxins can harm mammals. 
6. New butterfly weed plants may benefit from a weekly watering until the taproot is well established. After that only water if there is an ongoing drought. 

 Recent statistics released by the World Wildlife Fund show that the numbers of monarch butterflies are unfortunately declining. With milkweed being replaced with genetically modified crops and urban population centers, it is becoming more difficult for the monarchs to find a healthy migration zone. Just as we have learned with the bees when things are not organic they tend to cause more harm than help. Common milkweed is the monarch’s favorite food, however the butterfly weed is another source that can help! Therefore, we need more butterfly weed planted.

​As you all know, at Green Bridge Growers we pride ourselves on being organic. We encourage, support, and motivate more gardeners to transform their gardens, if not already there, to be organic. This connects to butterfly weeds because they are rather impactful for the organic home gardens. Create a garden filled with butterflies by planting butterfly weed in your garden and help the movement to save monarchs.

--​Lala Petty

Welcome back to In The Garden With Green Bridge Growers. At Green Bridge Growers we love and appreciate our bees. We understand the importance of their vitality. We are here to help and encourage other farmers and home gardeners to take a lead role in rebuilding their bee habitat. 

Okay let’s get down to the nitty gritty! Many people are afraid of bees. When Bees come around people usually swat, run, or become super still. However, BEES ARE IMPORTANT to humanity for a very crucial reason. To be frank our food supply can be compromised without the bee population. Scary right? 

If you can remember from our first week’s blog, Bees were one of the common pollinators. They are responsible for pollinating all sorts of plants like strawberries, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and onions. Check this out, even dairy products are a part of a food chain that starts with bee pollination. 

So now that we all understand the importance of bees. There is a serious problem. The bee population is in big trouble! According to 101 Organic Gardening Hacks, by Shawna Coronado, the U.S. Department of Agriculture considers annual colony losses above 19 percent to be economically unsustainable. A full two- thirds of the American beekeepers are currently suffering losses at more than double that threshold. If this rate continues beekeepers will be out of business and guess what… supermarkets will soon follow. This brings us to say, it is now on us to change our ways to help save the bees. They help us, let’s help them. In your home gardens, you must stop using pesticides. At Green Bridge Growers we use innovative methods to grow sustainable, fresh produce for your table year-round. We grow organically and you can do the same!

Okay let’s tap into some tangible steps. 

1. The best thing to do is to start planting more pollinating plants organically- WITHOUT chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Let us remind you it does not matter if you have a small apartment or a large farm. Whatever steps people take will help the bees. 
2. Support local organically grown produce and honey in order to help local beekeepers in your area. Also keep in mind that there are more than just honey bees in the United States. Many other kinds of bees help pollinate our vegetables and we can help them too. 
3. Plant wildflowers and native plants that support the local bee population. In order to discover what these plants are, consult with your local extension office or independent garden center. 
4. When planting annual flowers, stay away from plants that might not attract bees. Focus on pollinator plants. 
5. Let herbs and other plants bolt and flower to feed the bees. 
6. Provide a fresh water source in your yard to keep the bees refreshed. 

We hope this encourages and guides you to make a difference in the garden and most importantly in bees.  That’s this week’s Inside The Garden With Green Bridge Growers. 

 --- Lala Petty

Hey there! Welcome to Inside The Garden with Green Bridge Growers. First let’s hit some basics about pollinators and pollination. You may be asking what’s so special about pollinators? What even are they? Some common pollinators are bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Pollinators are animals that move pollen from male structures of flowers to the female structures of the same plant species. The movement of this pollen results in fertilization of the flower’s eggs.

An adequately fertilized flower will produce seeds and the fruit surrounding seeds, ensuring that a new generation of plants can be grown.

Pollination is mutually beneficial to plants and to pollinators. So that means EVERYONE is happy and healthy! Yay! Diving in a little deeper, pollination results in the production of seeds and is necessary for many plants to reproduce. Therefore plants need pollination. Meanwhile, pollinators receive nectar and/or pollen rewards from the flowers that they visit.

Now let’s get more personal. Every garden should heed this advice: plant flowering native plants such as butterfly weed, Joe-pye weed, and gayfeather to support local indigenious pollinators. Here is a tip: gradually intermixing native annuals and perennial plants can help attract and feed pollinating insects. Plant pollen and nectar-rich plants with successive flowering seasons so that the plants can help provide for pollinators all season. Annual plants bring in pollinators, but they do not return year after year, therefore they cannot support the pollinators long term. Great annuals that support butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds include zinnia, flowering tobacco, lantana, and verbena.

Why Does Pollinator Support Make A Difference?

Pollinators are incredibly important to our ecosystem! Being that we are an organic farm, there’s something we wanted to share with you! It has been proven by the University of Sussex’s Laboratory that including organically grown native and non native pollinator-friendly flowers in your garden can attract and help support bees and other insects. This is important for gardeners everywhere because adding a small amount of pollinating plants to your garden can make a positive impact on your local pollinator population. That’s this week’s Inside The Garden With Green Bridge Growers.

- Carlondrea Petty