Happy National Pollinator Month (and Week)! June is the perfect time to celebrate pollinators because almost all of our migratory species have returned and are out and about in the gardens. We saw the first monarch at the Palace in late April and we’ve been hearing the rapid flutter of hummingbirds this May! Observing these amazing creatures is a great way to get some time outdoors and help with citizen science! There are many new mobile apps that help you identify and monitor the number and species of pollinators you’re seeing in your garden- critical information that helps scientists researching their health and well-being!
I’m getting a reputation as a “crazy bee person”- in a work meeting recently, we were discussing carpenter bees, and everyone says, “we know, we know, Hadley- they’re pollinators- but they’re ANNOYING!” I think this means I’ve been at least partially successful at educating people about the importance of pollinators, but it also means it’s probably time to discuss the occasional problems with pollinators and how to mitigate those. Join us for our free June 8th “Pretty is as Pretty Does” Garden Lecture at the NC History Center at 10am!
Tryon Palace is celebrating National Pollinator Week, June 18 – 23, featuring special pollinator garden tours (Tuesday through Friday, June 18- 21 at 10am), a free Saturday June 22, 10am lecture on “Intro to Apiculture: So You Want to Be a Beekeeper”, and a free Saturday June 22, 2 pm showing of Disneynature- Wings of Life. Throughout the week, learn about how to help pollinators with posters and take-home items, and meet the bees in our observation hive at the NC History Center. See 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