Gardening for the pollinators

 "These seeds will help to provide both forage for beneficial insects and a little more beauty in the world"

Last week I sowed this Pollinator Blend mixture, a thank you gift with purchase from West Coast Seeds, in one of the group (shared) beds at the community garden. Now I'm saying a huge "thank you" to the pollinators & giving them (& us) a boost:

Bees and flowering plants evolved together millions of years ago. We could not have one without the other. Although bees face many challenges in this age of global weather change, at West Coast Seeds we believe that the simple act of sowing the seeds of plants that bees and other pollinators love to forage on is a critically important step in helping to ensure they, the whole planet, and we have a future (source: West Coast Seeds).

Have your viewed "The Wings of Life" & listened to flimmaker Louie Schwartzberg's elegant, compelling commentary? Many thanks to my friend @tessgmarshall for tweeting the link to this amazing, beautiful film clip (a TED talk) about pollination. I can't replay it too many times. 

Pollination truly is the "love story that feeds the earth".

Favourite summer "stumble-upons"

At the end of this Labour Day weekend, I'm reminiscing about small surprises that delighted me when I turned the corner during daily walks with Piper this summer. Sweeter because unexpected. (And they partly make up for the small harvests from my two gardens.)

Soft, pink-tinged, frilly petals in a corner bulge garden. I adore poppies. Thank you, caring neighbours, who tend Vancouver's Green Street gardens.

Breaking free: a chain link fence can't contain the glorious ruffles, colour and scent of these roses.

Peach on blue: Hollyhocks, part of a mixed perennial oasis in a barren industrial zone.

A deep purple mop-top surveys the traffic circle

Enthusiastic Echinops - three tiny flowers seem to be saying "pick me, pick me!"

Symmetry and synchrony: bees on Echinacea

A meditative dragonfly in the kitchen garden

Good things come in three's: Double wedding ring quilt (#1) on a clothesline (#2) at the Back Porch (#3)

The setting sun's reflection on a window creates a gold shimmer on False Creek's silver