This page is under construction…
Here in the Great Basin, finding a way to live among deer and wildlife required a different garden if we were going to get any food from the harvests. A story many share at farmers market. For us, not giving in to them led to raised beds, hoop houses, hard wire tomato barrels and fenced areas. The greenhouse was a must if we would succeed in extending the growing season. Designed to be off-the-grid, we installed a GAHT climate battery and solar/battery thermostat driven fans. My husband-Ed, brother-Doug, father-in-law-Louie and myself built the cedar | saltbox design structure with polycarbonate on the west and south exposures.
Pondering “what to grow?” in the greenhouse blended with years of sustainability and permaculture deep dives. Frequently the topic of decreasing pollinator populations surfaced. Why not get hardy perennials out to gardens and pollinator patches (insectaries, hedgerows)? Learning that Monarch butterflies have declined 90% in recent decades, also became a great place to start since we have lots of Showy milkweed seeds and plants in this ecosystem. But the importance of representing ALL pollinators sparked an interest in native pollinators and growing nectar rich annuals, biennials and perennials for some, and pollen rich for others. Just searching the topic of which colors pollinators are attracted to gives insights on how pollinators survive. For example, moths prefer white during their evening rounds.
We enjoy the sensory stimuli of apiary sounds from the robins, finches, and peacocks?! and the rich smelling layered compost from cotton wood trees, Big Sagebrush and lemon balm to name a few that grow in abundance. While I frequently kneel or sit on the shade side of plants so not to startle them, my scope of pollinator awareness has evolved to catching flashes of movement from the tiniest native pollinators; the most effective pollinators for our harvests (yes, even more so than honey bees). There is no expense for IPM (Integrated Pest Management) when black and red beetles, sphinx moths, bats, moths, birds, hummingbirds, honey bees, and the wind all do their share to help us pollinate and defend our favorite foods. Once the ground is covered, weeds sprout less and less.
The greenhouse can be seen through hard wire wrapped around a trial bed and a chicken pasture.
…read on for current updates on yearly goals - my notes. Please do email me, if you are interested in the Monarchs’ plight so I can connect you with folks that know far more than me. VBB has showy milkweed seeds this year and will have plants (currently propagating) see the Home page (scroll to the bottom) for new arrival list.
2024
Trial beds and orchard beds…decrease lawn and plant new biennials/perennials in groups of three.
For next year, practice documentation and recording of pollinators and reach out to entomologists to maintain accuracy.
Outreach Topics: extend beyond this care page and pollinators to no-toxins needed with insectaries and beneficial insects
Future goal: encourage our communities to co-op fresh produce. Who could run this? Greenhouse growers always grow too much!
Other perennials in this bed include: silvery/shrubby purple lupine, a new hardy variety of black-eyed-susan (Deamii), an Ajuga ground cover and white, red lupines, Eremurus, Delphimiums. Adding Rocky Mountain Penstemons.
Current goal: hedgerow/pollinator patches and focus on native perennials with the addition of shrubs. Trees and shrubs give the pollinators one stop gorging as these early and late bloomers decrease what is called a dearth (times of insufficient forage).
See Care page…after the Summer heat, Fall is the best time to plant a pollinator patch giving the plants a head start by maturing their root systems. Spring is second best as all of these plants are both cold and heat tolerant. Fall just gives the most time for roots to develope.
The VitalBeeBuds farm is managed/owned by Lorraine and Ed Fitzhugh in Gardnerville, Nevada.