Life continues to thrive here at the nursery. We’ve had several successful bird nests in our boxes across the property, including a recently-fledged Eastern Bluebird and a freshly hatched clutch of Tree Swallows. The Rough-winged Swallows that had been nesting in the soil and mulch bay walls have fledged as well. Recent guests may also be familiar with the Killdeer nesting in the middle of the sales area. We try to give them as much space as we can, and they seem remarkably tolerant of onlookers and staff.
Outside of the deer fence, the third-year prairie is truly thriving. Several species are now in bloom, including Wild Bergamot, Pink Swamp Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, and Black-eyed Susan, mixed in with the Indian Grass and Big Bluestem. With such variety and volume, it’s no wonder that you can almost always spot a Monarch or two if you take the time to look, and you can always see several bumble bees bustling about collecting pollen.
Our display garden along the porch is also coming into its own. Blooming now are American Mountain Mint, ‘Raspberry Wine’ Bee Balm, and American Mountain Mint! Each is quite busy with pollinators of all sizes. It’s a great opportunity to visualize so many different perennials in one place and watch which pollinators visit which plants. It’s gone a long way from just being a garden plan last spring.
With every passing week, there’s more and more to see and hear. Stop by soon to get ideas for your yard or simply enjoy the bees buzzing in the garden!
