wildflowers

Flower “Beds” for Bumble Bees

Flower “Beds” for Bumble Bees

After a busy summer season many of us find sweet relief in the fall. The chilly air and the early evenings invite us all to slow down. Have you noticed the bumble bees slowing down as well?

In dawn and dusk the last couple of weeks, you might have observed bumble bees sleeping on your flowers…

Goldenrods: Top Plants for Boosting Biodiversity

Goldenrods: Top Plants for Boosting Biodiversity

The land is awash with sprays of amber, lemon, and yellow from the wild goldenrods that proliferate in meadows, roadsides, forest edges, and vacant lots this time of year. These misunderstood, underappreciated, and spectacularly diverse plants have been lumped into the common category of "goldenrod" and unfairly blamed for hay fever.

Gentle Golden Wasps Adorned with Pollen

Gentle Golden Wasps Adorned with Pollen

Despite my education, and the ecological role that I know they play, I have been pretty wary of wasps throughout my lifetime. It's a visceral thing. I respected their place in the food web, but I didn't lean in to study them. That is until I laid eyes on the star of this Phenology Note: the Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus). They have won me over!