June holds the distinct honor of having both National Pollinator Month AND National Pollinator Week! Pollinators have been quite the buzz lately and with good reason- they are responsible for about 80% of pollination in all flowering plants across the world. If you’re a fan of eating- which most of us are- they also pollinate a third of the plants we eat in some form or fashion. So who exactly are these pollinators? We tend to be most familiar with the more beautiful, showy ones of the bunch- the butterflies, hummingbirds and bees- but moths, bats, beetles, ants, and wasps are also critical pollinators. As you begin enjoying your summer garden, try to find these sometimes more elusive pollinators and see what they’re foraging on in your area! If you’re interested in finding out more about pollinators, check out the NCDA&CS pollinator website (http://www.ncagr.gov/pollinators/) and join us for pollinator events!
Tryon Palace is celebrating National Pollinator Week, June 18 – 24, featuring special pollinator garden tours (June 18, 20, and 22 at 10 a.m.), a lecture by River Bend Community Organic Garden on monarchs and pollinator gardening on Saturday, June 23 at 10 a.m., and a showing of “Disneynature – Wings of Life” on Saturday, June 23 at 2 p.m. Throughout the week, learn about how to help pollinators with posters and other take-home items, and meet the bees in our observation hive at the North Carolina History Center. These events are all free thanks to the Duke Energy Foundation! Visit www.tryonpalace.org for more details!
Happy gardening and pollinator watching!
Hadley Cheris, Tryon Palace Gardens and Greenhouse Manager
Tryon Palace • 529 South Front Street • New Bern, NC 28562 • 252-639-3500 • www.tryonpalace.org