When I select plants for my garden, I want them to fit into the overall plan producing lots of blooms and color. But I also plant for beneficial insects such a bumblebees. You see, they’ll work hard all summer and into the fall gathering pollen from this bog sage.
Of course, as they ‘bumble’ from bloom to bloom, they’re actually doing me a favor. You see, as they gather pollen, they’re also pollinating my crops.
But on a commercial scale, pollination is big business. They figure the honeybee alone contributes about 10 billion dollars to American agriculture.
Pollination is particularly important to farmers growing crops in greenhouses. You see, bumblebees are now being used as pollinators in this case to help insure a bumper crop of produce such as tomatoes. One single hive can easily cover the hundreds of tomato plants growing in this greenhouse.
Now you may be wondering, if you don’t produce fruits or vegetables in your garden, why attract bumblebees? Well, they’re actually pollinating a lot more than the things we eat. Their pollination benefits birds and other wildlife by producing seeds, berries, and fruit that they’ll eat all winter long. You see bumblebees are just an important part of the lifecycle.
I can honestly say that I’ve gardened all of my life and I’ve never been stung by one of these little guys. But that’s not to say, that if provoked, they wouldn’t get their stingers out. But as a general rule, bumblebees are gentle and content to mind their own business.
From the garden, I’m P. Allen Smith.
Copyright: 2000
P. Allen Smith Gardens
Hortus LTD.

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