Guest Blog by some critters
April is NATIONAL Native Plant Month here in the US (first one ever!) and in honor of that, I thought I’d give 3 local critters an opportunity to share their stories!
So, first up is Penny the Queen Bee!
Penny is an American Bumblebee (Bombus pensylvanicus).
Buzz buzz! Hi, I’m Penny… a local Bumblebee Queen. I’m writing this from my cozy Winter den but it’s about time for me to get up and get to work starting this year’s hive. I’ve been sleeping all Winter and I’ve gotten pretty hungry! That’s all I can think about: flowers. I’m excited to stretch my wings, take off into the sky like a fuzzy-butted helicopter and find me some nice, native flowers to sip…aaaahhh.
I say “nice native flowers” because the flowers that are from here provide me and my family with the best nutrition… some of those showy flowers at the hardware store are completely empty! Anyway, my main thing I wanted to talk about on here is my butt… now wait just a moment, I’ll explain.
“Do you think I wake up every morning saying “I hope I get a chance to sting someone in the face today”? Nope! I’m just focused on getting enough food to feed my babies.”
The only thing people seem to talk about is my stinger… yes, I can sting. But, I wanted to clear something up: do you think I wake up every morning saying “I hope I get a chance to sting someone in the face today”? Nope! I’m just focused on getting enough food to feed my babies. Then once they grow up, we can focus on pollinating plants to help fruits, vegetables, and flowers grow. We only sting if we are scared and have no other choice… I promise!
So if you leave me and my family alone… or you can even get close and say “Hi!”, but as long as you don’t try to smack me… you’ll be safe!
Alright, well that’s the end of my PSA. I gotta stretch these wings and get my fuzzy behind in gear… perhaps I’ll drop by your yard later if you serve some delicious native flower entrees! If I could make a request, plant some Hairy Beardtongue… it’s got a weird name but it blooms in Spring, is Ohio-native AND it’s delicious!
Be sure to look for Hairy Beardtongue at our local native nurseries mentioned at the end of this blog post!
Thanks, Penny! Penny is a rarer American Bumblebee… I had the honor of hosting her at my place this past year in my native Prairie planting! She was so fun to watch and never stung any of us!
Next up is Hermes the Hummingbird!
Hermes loves the red flowers the best, like this Scarlet Beebalm.
Hi! I gotta make this quick! I’m on a layover from my flight back to Ohio from Central America… phew, my wings are tired!
Anyhow, I just wanted to say two quick things: I love red! So much. Red is my favorite. It’s so beautiful. It’s the best. Really. Wow. Red. So great. Yes. I love it.
“When you put out one of those red hummingbird feeders with the sugar water… you gotta clean it almost everyday! If not, it gets all moldy and I get sick… bleck! I have no time for that nonsense! Just plant those flowers...”
Red flowers are the best! Wild Red Columbine, Scarlet Beebalm, Cardinal Flower… those three native flowers are my favorites! So delicious… and they never need cleaned! When you put out one of those red hummingbird feeders with the sugar water… you gotta clean it almost everyday! If not, it gets all moldy and I get sick… bleck! I have no time for that nonsense! Just plant those flowers I just mentioned and enjoy the show… and you won’t have to clean anything! Beautiful and efficient… just like me!
I wanted to say two things… umm, what was the second thing? I don’t know… welp, gotta go! I’ll be in your neck of the woods in about two weeks! See ya then!
Thanks, Hermes! Those three red flowers Hermes mentioned bloom at different times… so, if you plant all three, you’ll have a hummingbird show all Spring and Summer! Oh, and you can add Royal Catchfly to the list too… a real stunner! You can get these at the nurseries listed at the end of this blog post.
Last but not least, let’s hear from Bella the Butterfly.
Bella is a Fritillary butterfly… check out her beautiful wings!
Hello there, pleased to have this opportunity to write you. My friends and I have been sleeping in the leaves from this past Fall (a warm thank you to those of you who “leave the leaves” and let us rest) and we are getting ready to wake up.
“I’ve noticed there is great potential [in your yard] for quite a lovely butterfly party.”
I wanted to share a few of my ponderings about your yard. I’ve noticed there is great potential there for quite a lovely butterfly party. You see, many of you have my favorite flower trying to grow in your lawn: the Common Blue Violet.
Common Blue Violets are known to pop up in yards
I just love its beautiful color and perfect leaves… so nice for an afternoon rest. In fact, I love them so much I lay my eggs there. Now, I know the idea of bug eggs can be upsetting, but think of the cute little caterpillars… perhaps your children could meet mine!
Not only are there violets trying to grow, but I’ve seen the beginnings of Common Selfheal, different kinds of clover and even dandelions growing. All of these free flowers are lovely places for me and my friends to relax, get some nectar, and be on our way. If you’ll let these grow, I’d love to come visit your home. Farewell!
Well, there you have it! So, what are you thinking? Want to get some of these plants in your yard? Bella mentioned some might already be there… go take a look!
If you want to meet Penny, or Hermes, or Bella… or all three (and more), checkout our local native nurseries! We are blessed here in Ohio to have multiple places to go: Leaves for Wildlife, Scioto Gardens, Natives in Harmony, Star Farms and many more! By buying from one of these nurseries, you’ll be supporting local business AND you’ll be sure to get good plants (unfortunately, many of the native plants sold at the big box stores are genetically modified and provide no nutrition for our animal brothers and sisters).
For more info on Ohio Native Plants, check out the offical website!
While you’re at it, checkout this website about being a friend to all wildlife.
Oh, and check out this website to join the native plant movement! I did!
By the way, I wrote a song about all this!