Nice. I am waiting for mine. Where do I email my address? I am using my son's phone. This is his mom. Seems to me you are missing some Marigolds in that mix.
Your BD deliveries were so sweet! One of our lovely local plant biz Incahoots growes some flowers locale in the community Gardens, and I think donates some of those ...
The absolute best pollinator plants are the Wildflowers that are native to YOUR area. Some of these aren't native to the entirety of the US but it's certainly a great list for your area. :)
Thank you that's a very important point I noticed immediately upon seeing this video before I clicked on it. Then I checked to see if he was addressing this and he did not. Your comment is very crucial and important!
Milkweed was my gateway plant at the beginning of COVID! I got really into supporting Monarchs and moved to indoor gardening. Thank you for mentioning the difference between native and tropical! It matters
I just purchased 28 houseplants of all varieties I do not normally grow. My outside veggie garden is growing. My Butterfly- Hummingbird Garden is in process. Milkweed is growing everywhere for the butterflies. Sunflowers( a row of each, 9 different colors/varieties) covered in bees! Teddy bear, dwarf Incredibles, paquita Colorado, 4-6ft gold, velvet, lemon Queen, pale and burgundy, light to dark sunbursts and 14ft single and multihead gold's! They look wonderful beginning to open and seeing all the varieties swaying in the breeze! Love it.
I live in Hawaii so I have butterflies year round and my plants are always just sticks cause it never has time to establish itself. I'm going to have to cage it or something so it's not naked year round
I agree as well. After all the fires out west over the last year, creating a pollinator sanctuary is best. I just planted a garden for pollinators in a 24 sq foot area outside of my garden where the public can walk by it along the sidewalk. It’s become a conversation starter with my neighbors. Very refreshing to socialize after this whole lockdown business this past year.
@@zaria5785 love the idea. I have a huge pollinator garden in my backyard near my veggies. I’ve had all sorts of different bees and butterflies and dragonflies. My back yard was just grass and nothing else but an old raised bed that was overtaken by weeds when we first bought it last July. Now it is a thriving ecosystem that will be my project for years to come!
Color is very important. I’ve been gardening for 9 years now. And threw research and experience, blue and purple colors is what will attract bees. Reds and oranges will attract your hummingbirds and butterflies because bees will take all the pollen and nectar, but they can not see red colors so bees and hummingbirds have adapted to understand this, and will aim for red flowers. So happy you mentioned milkweed. What’s super important to note, is that you should 100% plant butterfly host plants, because they will actually attract more butterflies than any flowers would ever. One of my top favorites that seems to attract butterflies, bees, and moths (at night) is Cleome/spiderflowers
Butterflies like mallows as well, marshmallow, mallow zebrina, okra, Sidalcia ... Oh, yes, Borage! And mint! Bumblebees often spend the mint in my mint flowers! And bees love the mint ...
I'm not so sure about this color thing. I have lots of bumble bees in my garden (Sweden) and they surely do land on and eat from red flowers for example red poppies, red roses etc. They don't only rely on their eyes, they also use their scent organs.
This is my first year growing Purple Tomatillos, and I almost don't care if I get a harvest because it's so pleasing to come near it as the whole bushed-out plant buzzes with bumblebees and other pollinators. It's a song of life with all the flowers and the pollinators it's brought in.
Yes, 100%!!! I put down some kale and radishes last year; no real use for either of the vegetables, so I decided to let them bolt to seed just so I didn't have to buy more. (Heirloom seeds, so hopefully they won't be duds.) 100% worth it just to help out my local microecological zone :)
I have some dragon fruit plants that are growing very long... I don't know what type I have because it has not flowered as yet. Is there any easy way I can identify them?
I was thinking along the same lines while sitting in my garden in the cool dawn this morning. It’s been so hot here (Fresno, CA) that nothing is producing (except some peppers). But, as you said, the bees are buzzing their song and everything is so lush and pretty. That’s satisfaction in and of itself at the moment. Thanks for the positive post.
Same! I planted 2 sad tomatillos in pots on my deck. I saved them from the clearance section of the garden center. They are huge now and covered in bees! I don’t even care if I get tomatillos as long as I can keep watching the bees every morning.
As a new beekeeper, this is super helpful! Other plants I have recorded as great for pollinators are: -Anise Hyssop -Dogsbane/catsbane -lavenders (of course) -snapdragons -thyme+oregano+rosemary -queen annes lace/wild carrot/parsnip (if you get to one before the bees do, you can actually see the nectar glistening on the flowers) -Borage/Vipers Bugloss (makes the best honey in my opinion) -lemon trees -wattle trees Note: I am from NZ, so hopefully I haven't listed any unsuitable for anyone; I did try to do non nz natives
@@thegerblinradio actually, I'd recommend looking at the shop Melbourne Bush Food, they also have a questionnaire to help you find what plants are good for your zone and garden space. Added bonus of all being edible! Otherwise I'd look into hardy herbs like rosemary (tuscan or prostrate are my favs) and any type of thyme (especially creeping carpet types) as the bees love them when they flower. Also look into your native wildflowers for your local area, and sprinkle seeds around wherever you can!
I live in jalisco (mexico) as such i do have tropical milkweed since it is my native variety, i didnt know they sold it in the USA, i thought everyone would just sell their local variety.
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I started a Pollinator garden this spring and am loving the different butterflies, humming birds and bees that are in it now. Thanks for recommending those plants. I wrote down the ones I don't have yet and will add them next year. I'm in zone 6b/7a so a lot will work in my yard. I've learned a lot from your many videos - THANK YOU!
Best pollinator plant (shrub) for summer thru fall, I always plant in my garden is Mexican Sunflower. Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and then yellow chickadees feast on the seeds. Beautiful vibrant orange blooms! Also, Liatris really attracts the honey bees.
Your channel is amazing. I used to garden and deliver my plants while I was younger. And met amazing people . I’m 24 now and starting my garden again & this channel is awesome!
I love Salvia and it loves my garden. Just this morning I saw a humming bird drinking from mine. Mint also attracts a lot of pollinators. I let mine bloom this year and it was fun seeing what came to eat from the flowers.
@@epicgardening There are so many different varieties of Salvia that bloom at different times it’s great! The Hummingbirds really do love them and they’re great to have in the garden. Not only are they pollinators, but they can eat something like 2-3 times their weight in small, annoying insects like misquotes and gnats. Plus, Hummers are just beautiful, fascinating birds! :)
I planted borage (which have blue purple star shaped flowers) this year and I have never had more bees! Plus you can use the leaves to make delicious tea :)
Great tips about having a mix to attract a variety of pollinators. Just learned marigolds attract Japanese beatles which is a good way to save your veggies and efficient to pick them off without chemicals.
I was so happy to see bumblebee in my cucumber, this is my first garden (raisebed) on my balcony in a big city so I was worry about polinator but they are here! Definitly planting flower when I have a bigger garden.
I planted Scabiosa columbaria "Dwarf pincushion flower" and the Japanica version in my garden and the bumble bees and butterflies loves them so much! They are all over the flowers constantly and can't leave them! I also have woodland sage and Salvia × superba, they go crazy over. Almost every night at dawn one or two bumble bees sleep on the pincushion ones. And also squash, the flowers are amazing because the bumble bees loves to crawl inside the cozy squash flowers during dawn/night. They have direct access to nectar/pollen all night and can keep warm aswell. I have gotten such cute videos and images of the bumble bees in my garden this year
Dill is great for attracting parasitic wasps as well as many other types wasps. Once the dill starts blooming, most caterpillars and bugs seem to disappear. Of course the down side is if you are not a fan of wasps, Dill might not be a great idea. Nothing like looking for a cucumber only to find it is located near a Dill flower covered in bald faced hornets.
I love your videos. I am learning so much from you. I have been gardening for decades. I am binging your videos looking forward to next spring. I live in Chicago. I am a retired teacher. So I am spending most of my time wrapped around my little Homestead. I lost my son to Covid. You remind me so much of him. You look so much like him and act so much like him. It brings me so much joy to watch your videos. You are epic keep doing what you’re doing. 💖
I bought tropical milkweed at lowes before knowing this :( but I did find online that if you chop it down to 6 inches later in the year it doesnt disrupt the monarchs
Have you thought about setting up a native bee house? Or do you already own one? I really enjoy having them, and they really boost the amount of pollinators.
Would you guys mind doing a video on your Hummingbird Haven Flower Mix? I’d love to see how best to sow the packet, care, & what the flowers look like.
Of the bunch, the agastache is the toppest sheet for pollinators, especially the North American native _foeniculum_ variety. It grows very easily, non-spreading (although self-seeds thus easily controlled), very popular with pollinators, edible, smells good, long monthly flowering period, etc… I must have 20+ growing in soil and pots in my garden right now. A common trick with it is to pinch it 2-3 times before August-September to control its height but you’ll have much more flower spikes. I personally counted 50+ from pinching one plant until Labor Day! 🎊 It doesn’t last long with 2-4 years each but the amount of seeds it produces, you’ll have agastaches for a lifetime! Seriously! So much it can even be grown like an annual! 🤘
Here in Missouri, common milkweed is the native one. I have some I started from seed last year and now have some volunteers. I bought some heliotrope today on your recommendation and oh, it smells so lovely! I’m keeping it near the back door so I can smell it when I go in and out. Thanks so much!
Man, the recipients of the flowers were so cool and collected. If Kevin showed up at my door, I would’ve been jumping up and down and squealing in crazy joy, LOL!! You’re #1 on my fave celebs list!! :) Super sweet of you to personally deliver, and this video is awesome - I’m just getting into planting flowers with my veggies, perfect timing as usual!
5:00 California banned the commercial sale of Tropical Milkweed. In Ventura County they are doing two plant giveaways of Narrow-leaf Milkweed. I am not sure if they are doing this in other parts of the state.
This was great! Very glad to hear you mention finding native plants to your area. Our milkweed here up in Toronto, Canada that monarch caterpillars grow up on is very different from your native milk weed. Cool to see how plants have adapted.
Canada is mostly native to large leaf milkweed right? I’ve been raising butterflies for many years now, but it’s very difficult to find something that ISNT tropical milkweed here in zone 9. Tropical milkweed is not ideal...
Very cool vid! Here in NZ our monarchs eat Swan plants which is a different variety of milkweed with spiky seed pods (sometimes called hairy balls plant 😅) and white flowers. Our favorite pollinator in marigold 😊 definitely trying echinacea this year too ✌
I planted a perennial pollinator garden next to my vegetable garden five years ago, and I can't believe how it's filled out and also how many little critters are coming to it. If you want to attract lots of honeybees, I have found that Mountain Mint is the BEST thing for that. I'm right on the cusp of Zone 7B/8A and it's a very hardy perennial here. It does spread, as mint does, but holy cow, I've never seen so many honeybees in my life! Joe Pye Weed is also great for Monarchs. It's another good perennial that will spread well, but not completely take over.
Another great flower that butterflies and all types of bees flock to later in the summer is autumn joy sedum. At times every bloom bunch on mine will be loaded with a variety of insects and butterflies. It's wonderful! Bee balm (mondaria) is also great.
Hi! Up here in Nor Cal. Plant hollyhock!!! Pollinators LIKE NEVER BEFORE! It’s been an epic pollinator season thus far. 🐝 Also Chinese long noodle beans. The bees & hummingbirds won’t leave the blossoms alone!
Thank you!! Please do a detailed herb video, I am having a hard time with oregano, dill, cilantro, chives, parsley, tried from seeds and starters, learning slowly, marjoram and green onions are good but I have to spray a neem/peppermint/dishsoap mixture at least once per week.
Interesting video and so lovely to see all your different plants which you recommend for pollinators. My little native bees (stingless) really love my basil flowers and my big honey bees like the lavender, I have heliotrope growing and the scent is so lovely. It does smell like cherry vanilla and it is a warm scent very reminiscent of warm milk with vanilla. Your large delphinium was breath-taking! Thank you. Well done!
Same here in Central Texas!! Waaaaay too hot to be out there for me!! I'm waiting for Fall. And then I'll be planting a flower seed storm!! I'm also tossing my fingers for a mild Winter, we're certainly due for one... But I'll also be expecting the worst. Meanwhile Fall will be my season to shine in the garden, I'm going to pretend it's Springtime!!
LOVED the video. Thanks for teaching about the various flowers you have planted to attract the pollinators. I have a couple of pots of wildflowers, plus a bunch of petunias. I let my spearmint bolt and I’ve never seen the assortment of pollinators coming to partake of the flowers such as carpenter bees, bumbles, honeys, moths, flies, and leafcutters. Absolutely amazing. Now if it would cool down a bit for my tomatoes to start producing again…
The way you entered the video was hilarious! You’re awesome! I’m new to your channel and stoked I found you bc I live in San Diego too so it’s helpful knowing we’re in the same climate! Thank you so much for all you’re amazing videos and knowledge you’ve given me! Also my milkweed was gone within a month and now that the leaves are coming back I’m seeing the second round of monarch caterpillar eggs, yay! 🌻🪴✨🦋
we have a huge pink echinacea and there is this one butterfly that apparently now basically lives on this plant. Everytime it gets spooked and flutters off it will be back in less than 10 minutes. It's incredibly.
When I was a lad, we used to try to catch the milkweed seeds floating on the breeze because we would make a wish on it. I can't remember the last time I saw one. ... I did see a Monarch butterfly though last week *AND* a firefly and it's been years since I've seen either...My community has a pesticide/herbicide ban in place and this year has started "No Mow May" so that in the early spring after the melt, the insects and wild rabbits have the dandelions available. The 'Flower sheath" is called Calyx iirc. interesting that you can grow Salvia...it's also called the Sage of the Diviners, it can produce short lived but intense hallucinations.
I started a bunch of marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, nasturtiums, and petunias from seed this year and have seen more Monarchs than ever! I do still need to plant some native milkweed though.
I'm glad you mentioned milkweed. I am in Virginia and focus on native ornamental plants. Let me tell you... None of these have anything on mountain mint!!! There is a native mountain mint to California, Pycnanthemum californicum. Look into it. Dedicate a corner of your garden to it. I have a small patch right now... It's taking up about... Maybe a 2x1' section and I have no less than 50 bees and wasps on it at any one moment, but often I'd guess it's closer to 100+!!!
African blue basil" one of the two best pollinator attractors on the planet. It's a sterile hybrid of two other Basil plants. Must be started from a cutting.
never had a problem with lack of pollinators. bees love mustard flowers and you can plant them all year long. citrus trees are great for early spring flowers. bees, including bumblebees, and hummingbirds love them.
Ugh. I am going to need an EPIC milkweed garden for the 16 Monarch rearing kits I just received! I have common milkweed in my wild meadow and narrow-leaved swamp milkweed in my front flowerbed with Joe Pye, Coneflower and Aster.
At the start of last year I had the same opinion, if it doesn't produce food then I have no use for it. This year I planted a few pollinators and next year I will have 2 spots with a wide assortment.
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So that's why you asked about birthdays for San Diego subs.. nice 🙌🏽
Omfg u scared me! Haha no.
Nice. I am waiting for mine.
Where do I email my address? I am using my son's phone. This is his mom. Seems to me you are missing some Marigolds in that mix.
Your BD deliveries were so sweet! One of our lovely local plant biz Incahoots growes some flowers locale in the community Gardens, and I think donates some of those ...
The absolute best pollinator plants are the Wildflowers that are native to YOUR area. Some of these aren't native to the entirety of the US but it's certainly a great list for your area. :)
Thank you that's a very important point I noticed immediately upon seeing this video before I clicked on it. Then I checked to see if he was addressing this and he did not. Your comment is very crucial and important!
Milkweed was my gateway plant at the beginning of COVID! I got really into supporting Monarchs and moved to indoor gardening. Thank you for mentioning the difference between native and tropical! It matters
I just purchased 28 houseplants of all varieties I do not normally grow. My outside veggie garden is growing. My Butterfly- Hummingbird Garden is in process. Milkweed is growing everywhere for the butterflies. Sunflowers( a row of each, 9 different colors/varieties) covered in bees! Teddy bear, dwarf Incredibles, paquita Colorado, 4-6ft gold, velvet, lemon Queen, pale and burgundy, light to dark sunbursts and 14ft single and multihead gold's! They look wonderful beginning to open and seeing all the varieties swaying in the breeze! Love it.
I live in Hawaii so I have butterflies year round and my plants are always just sticks cause it never has time to establish itself. I'm going to have to cage it or something so it's not naked year round
You crack me up jumping out from behind the raised bed, and then lying down in the garden to go over each plant 😂 Love it!
LOL you gotta get IN the garden
@@epicgardening become the garden
when he went at the door with the flower he looks like if he want a girl😂 and😊
I fkn lost it 🤣🤣
Lol that was 🤣
Finally!!!! I think planting pollinator plants are super important especially nowadays.
I totally agree!
I agree as well. After all the fires out west over the last year, creating a pollinator sanctuary is best. I just planted a garden for pollinators in a 24 sq foot area outside of my garden where the public can walk by it along the sidewalk. It’s become a conversation starter with my neighbors. Very refreshing to socialize after this whole lockdown business this past year.
@@zaria5785 love the idea. I have a huge pollinator garden in my backyard near my veggies. I’ve had all sorts of different bees and butterflies and dragonflies. My back yard was just grass and nothing else but an old raised bed that was overtaken by weeds when we first bought it last July. Now it is a thriving ecosystem that will be my project for years to come!
Color is very important. I’ve been gardening for 9 years now. And threw research and experience, blue and purple colors is what will attract bees.
Reds and oranges will attract your hummingbirds and butterflies because bees will take all the pollen and nectar, but they can not see red colors so bees and hummingbirds have adapted to understand this, and will aim for red flowers.
So happy you mentioned milkweed. What’s super important to note, is that you should 100% plant butterfly host plants, because they will actually attract more butterflies than any flowers would ever.
One of my top favorites that seems to attract butterflies, bees, and moths (at night) is Cleome/spiderflowers
I have Borage everywhere. The bees adore it.
I'll check out Cleome!
Butterflies like mallows as well, marshmallow, mallow zebrina, okra, Sidalcia ...
Oh, yes, Borage! And mint! Bumblebees often spend the mint in my mint flowers! And bees love the mint ...
I'm not so sure about this color thing. I have lots of bumble bees in my garden (Sweden) and they surely do land on and eat from red flowers for example red poppies, red roses etc. They don't only rely on their eyes, they also use their scent organs.
Cleome is such a fun plant! A little stinky and the leaves look a lot like something else, lol. but they are so cool! The blooms look like fireworks!
This is my first year growing Purple Tomatillos, and I almost don't care if I get a harvest because it's so pleasing to come near it as the whole bushed-out plant buzzes with bumblebees and other pollinators. It's a song of life with all the flowers and the pollinators it's brought in.
Yes, 100%!!! I put down some kale and radishes last year; no real use for either of the vegetables, so I decided to let them bolt to seed just so I didn't have to buy more. (Heirloom seeds, so hopefully they won't be duds.) 100% worth it just to help out my local microecological zone :)
That sounds wonderful!
My purple tomatillo seeds just sprouted today :)
I have some dragon fruit plants that are growing very long... I don't know what type I have because it has not flowered as yet. Is there any easy way I can identify them?
I was thinking along the same lines while sitting in my garden in the cool dawn this morning. It’s been so hot here (Fresno, CA) that nothing is producing (except some peppers). But, as you said, the bees are buzzing their song and everything is so lush and pretty. That’s satisfaction in and of itself at the moment. Thanks for the positive post.
Same! I planted 2 sad tomatillos in pots on my deck. I saved them from the clearance section of the garden center. They are huge now and covered in bees! I don’t even care if I get tomatillos as long as I can keep watching the bees every morning.
You were already one of my favorite TH-camrs, but I love that you delivered those flowers to subscribers. That was seriously so sweet of you.
As a new beekeeper, this is super helpful!
Other plants I have recorded as great for pollinators are:
-Anise Hyssop
-Dogsbane/catsbane
-lavenders (of course)
-snapdragons
-thyme+oregano+rosemary
-queen annes lace/wild carrot/parsnip (if you get to one before the bees do, you can actually see the nectar glistening on the flowers)
-Borage/Vipers Bugloss (makes the best honey in my opinion)
-lemon trees
-wattle trees
Note:
I am from NZ, so hopefully I haven't listed any unsuitable for anyone; I did try to do non nz natives
I second the anise hyssop. Plus, it makes a delicious, healthy tea. And, queen anne's lace grows wild here in Illinois. Thank you for the post.
I love the taste of Star Thistle honey :)
Do you have any for Queensland? I seem to be in a pollinator dead zone even through spring…
Russian sage is my go to. You can plant it in horrible soil, never water it and it blooms all season long. Its like lavender on steroids.
@@thegerblinradio actually, I'd recommend looking at the shop Melbourne Bush Food, they also have a questionnaire to help you find what plants are good for your zone and garden space. Added bonus of all being edible! Otherwise I'd look into hardy herbs like rosemary (tuscan or prostrate are my favs) and any type of thyme (especially creeping carpet types) as the bees love them when they flower. Also look into your native wildflowers for your local area, and sprinkle seeds around wherever you can!
I live in jalisco (mexico) as such i do have tropical milkweed since it is my native variety, i didnt know they sold it in the USA, i thought everyone would just sell their local variety.
for my garden i buy large bags of seeds to grow wildflowers for the pollinators there is a special mix just for them
Fantastic idea
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In times of a global pandemic people spend more time at home and and many of us have taken this time to look for ways to make our personal spaces more beautiful.
The Home Styling Guide is like a crash course in Interior Design. It imparts the same knowledge as a certficateion course, however does not have any exams at the end of it. It is rather designed to be a pleasant read with lots of beautiful images and graphics, that help translate the theory into practical examples.
The 8 chapters comprise:
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Now that Monarch Butterflies are endangered, make sure to grow extra Narrow Milkweed!
African Blue Basil attracts Bee's, Butterflies, Hornets or Wasp, and Flies in my garden. I love it.
Have several. Absolute champion plant.
Thai basil too!
Bee's what?
I started a Pollinator garden this spring and am loving the different butterflies, humming birds and bees that are in it now. Thanks for recommending those plants. I wrote down the ones I don't have yet and will add them next year. I'm in zone 6b/7a so a lot will work in my yard. I've learned a lot from your many videos - THANK YOU!
Some you can start from seed it’ll be a lot cheaper ❤
Best pollinator plant (shrub) for summer thru fall, I always plant in my garden is Mexican Sunflower. Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and then yellow chickadees feast on the seeds. Beautiful vibrant orange blooms! Also, Liatris really attracts the honey bees.
Your channel is amazing. I used to garden and deliver my plants while I was younger. And met amazing people . I’m 24 now and starting my garden again & this channel is awesome!
I'm surprised you didn't mention perennial basil. They're so easy to grow, doesn't self-seed, and the bees love them.
I planted lavender and the bumblebees and honey bees love it! It’s also the easiest plant I have as far as care goes which is great for me lol
I love how you popped up out of nowhere in the beginning! 😄 Good video on these pollinator flowers!
I love Salvia and it loves my garden. Just this morning I saw a humming bird drinking from mine. Mint also attracts a lot of pollinators. I let mine bloom this year and it was fun seeing what came to eat from the flowers.
I've noticed WAY more hummingbirds in the garden since I started planting salvia as well
@@epicgardening There are so many different varieties of Salvia that bloom at different times it’s great! The Hummingbirds really do love them and they’re great to have in the garden. Not only are they pollinators, but they can eat something like 2-3 times their weight in small, annoying insects like misquotes and gnats. Plus, Hummers are just beautiful, fascinating birds! :)
@@epicgardening Pycnanthemum californicum!!!
Salvia is wonderful.... so many different varieties and the butterflies and bees love it
Yes!! I have two varieties and they tend to flower year round so everyone has something to eat.
I planted borage (which have blue purple star shaped flowers) this year and I have never had more bees! Plus you can use the leaves to make delicious tea :)
Planted about 20 seeds and so far only one has sprouted 😢hopefully it will grow well ❤
Great tips about having a mix to attract a variety of pollinators. Just learned marigolds attract Japanese beatles which is a good way to save your veggies and efficient to pick them off without chemicals.
Awesome! I didn't know that. Thank you!
I was so happy to see bumblebee in my cucumber, this is my first garden (raisebed) on my balcony in a big city so I was worry about polinator but they are here! Definitly planting flower when I have a bigger garden.
Congratulations, enjoy gardening 🌻🍅🍍
I planted Scabiosa columbaria "Dwarf pincushion flower" and the Japanica version in my garden and the bumble bees and butterflies loves them so much! They are all over the flowers constantly and can't leave them! I also have woodland sage and Salvia × superba, they go crazy over. Almost every night at dawn one or two bumble bees sleep on the pincushion ones.
And also squash, the flowers are amazing because the bumble bees loves to crawl inside the cozy squash flowers during dawn/night. They have direct access to nectar/pollen all night and can keep warm aswell. I have gotten such cute videos and images of the bumble bees in my garden this year
Pentas are fabulous! They come in reds, pinks, and whites. (Maybe more?) Pentas do very well in containers as well as inground.
Thank you! Super helpful! I don't appreciate having flowers in my garden enough because I'm always like, "Give me fruits and vegetables!!"
Dill is great for attracting parasitic wasps as well as many other types wasps. Once the dill starts blooming, most caterpillars and bugs seem to disappear. Of course the down side is if you are not a fan of wasps, Dill might not be a great idea. Nothing like looking for a cucumber only to find it is located near a Dill flower covered in bald faced hornets.
I love your videos. I am learning so much from you. I have been gardening for decades. I am binging your videos looking forward to next spring. I live in Chicago. I am a retired teacher. So I am spending most of my time wrapped around my little Homestead. I lost my son to Covid. You remind me so much of him. You look so much like him and act so much like him. It brings me so much joy to watch your videos. You are epic keep doing what you’re doing. 💖
Hello Sandra
Something the bees seem to love in my garden is catmint!
I bought tropical milkweed at lowes before knowing this :( but I did find online that if you chop it down to 6 inches later in the year it doesnt disrupt the monarchs
Have you thought about setting up a native bee house? Or do you already own one? I really enjoy having them, and they really boost the amount of pollinators.
I have two!
Would you guys mind doing a video on your Hummingbird Haven Flower Mix? I’d love to see how best to sow the packet, care, & what the flowers look like.
Thank you so much! I’m already planning for my spring garden for next year and this is really helpful.
My wife and I love this video we are trying to create a pollinator friendly garden and this gives us great ideas
Thank you Kevin for getting down and dirty to show us the best pollinator plants. This is very helpful.
Of the bunch, the agastache is the toppest sheet for pollinators, especially the North American native _foeniculum_ variety.
It grows very easily, non-spreading (although self-seeds thus easily controlled), very popular with pollinators, edible, smells good, long monthly flowering period, etc…
I must have 20+ growing in soil and pots in my garden right now.
A common trick with it is to pinch it 2-3 times before August-September to control its height but you’ll have much more flower spikes. I personally counted 50+ from pinching one plant until Labor Day! 🎊
It doesn’t last long with 2-4 years each but the amount of seeds it produces, you’ll have agastaches for a lifetime! Seriously! So much it can even be grown like an annual!
🤘
Here in Missouri, common milkweed is the native one. I have some I started from seed last year and now have some volunteers.
I bought some heliotrope today on your recommendation and oh, it smells so lovely! I’m keeping it near the back door so I can smell it when I go in and out.
Thanks so much!
Man, the recipients of the flowers were so cool and collected. If Kevin showed up at my door, I would’ve been jumping up and down and squealing in crazy joy, LOL!! You’re #1 on my fave celebs list!! :) Super sweet of you to personally deliver, and this video is awesome - I’m just getting into planting flowers with my veggies, perfect timing as usual!
Love the background music. Perfect for the piece. 😉💜
Best flowers to use are those native to your area. Plain and simple.
We are definitely looking to attract more pollinators. Great video. Thorough. Thank you.
If you live where there are bumblebees, they LOVE Sedum especially the reddish ones.
Love that he's lying IN the dirt, totally geeking out on his love of plants.
Plant Daddy doesn't let us down!!! Hahaha
5:00 California banned the commercial sale of Tropical Milkweed. In Ventura County they are doing two plant giveaways of Narrow-leaf Milkweed. I am not sure if they are doing this in other parts of the state.
Lol. That jump out from behind the plants 🪴
This was great! Very glad to hear you mention finding native plants to your area. Our milkweed here up in Toronto, Canada that monarch caterpillars grow up on is very different from your native milk weed. Cool to see how plants have adapted.
Canada is mostly native to large leaf milkweed right? I’ve been raising butterflies for many years now, but it’s very difficult to find something that ISNT tropical milkweed here in zone 9. Tropical milkweed is not ideal...
I'll have to look it up!
Good stuff Kevin! I only have a few of these ready to plant and it looks like I may need to add some of these later this year or next year 👊🏻🌻👊🏻
Thanks for another helpful and informative video! You’ve inspired me to cover my porch with container flowers and vegetables and they’re doing great!
Very cool vid! Here in NZ our monarchs eat Swan plants which is a different variety of milkweed with spiky seed pods (sometimes called hairy balls plant 😅) and white flowers. Our favorite pollinator in marigold 😊 definitely trying echinacea this year too ✌
I'm in Auckland, NZ... When's the best time of year to plant marigolds for you? Do you think they make good cut flowers or is the stem too short?
Thanks we have and are learning so much from you ! Keep growing ! 😊
I planted a perennial pollinator garden next to my vegetable garden five years ago, and I can't believe how it's filled out and also how many little critters are coming to it. If you want to attract lots of honeybees, I have found that Mountain Mint is the BEST thing for that. I'm right on the cusp of Zone 7B/8A and it's a very hardy perennial here. It does spread, as mint does, but holy cow, I've never seen so many honeybees in my life! Joe Pye Weed is also great for Monarchs. It's another good perennial that will spread well, but not completely take over.
It makes me crack up every time you come out from behind things to start videos 😂 puts a smile on my face!
Another great flower that butterflies and all types of bees flock to later in the summer is autumn joy sedum. At times every bloom bunch on mine will be loaded with a variety of insects and butterflies. It's wonderful! Bee balm (mondaria) is also great.
Hi! Up here in Nor Cal. Plant hollyhock!!! Pollinators LIKE NEVER BEFORE! It’s been an epic pollinator season thus far. 🐝 Also Chinese long noodle beans. The bees & hummingbirds won’t leave the blossoms alone!
Thank you!! Please do a detailed herb video, I am having a hard time with oregano, dill, cilantro, chives, parsley, tried from seeds and starters, learning slowly, marjoram and green onions are good but I have to spray a neem/peppermint/dishsoap mixture at least once per week.
Greetings from Calgary, Alberta, Canada from zone 3 and a bit of 4. Delphiniums are in abundance up here- if you are not on a windy. Ridge, hill.
Kevin popping out of the gardening at the beginning is just the best thing lol
This channel should be called Epic Endorsements.
It's really more about gardening
I'm growing some tomatoes and herbs on my balcony. I have marigolds as well. I've been obsessed with them forever and now I'm growing my own
damn, I lost this round of "where is Kevin popping up from?" haha
Beautiful share my freind thank you very mutch.
Interesting video and so lovely to see all your different plants which you recommend for pollinators. My little native bees (stingless) really love my basil flowers and my big honey bees like the lavender, I have heliotrope growing and the scent is so lovely. It does smell like cherry vanilla and it is a warm scent very reminiscent of warm milk with vanilla. Your large delphinium was breath-taking! Thank you. Well done!
Thank you Devon! Glad you agree on the heliotrope...such a good smell
I just want to commend you for all your planting information you provide. Thank you
I’d love to get out and plant more flowers, but man it’s so hot in Fresno!
Tell me about it - I've got trees going in today!
I'm in Bakersfield and omg its unbearable
Same here in Central Texas!!
Waaaaay too hot to be out there for me!!
I'm waiting for Fall.
And then I'll be planting a flower seed storm!!
I'm also tossing my fingers for a mild Winter, we're certainly due for one...
But I'll also be expecting the worst.
Meanwhile Fall will be my season to shine in the garden, I'm going to pretend it's Springtime!!
Right! Would love to plant more but that would require more watering and it’s a drought season
@@Tamaramcgski927 exactly!
Eleven pollinators - cone flower delphinium tubular allisum blue lobilia mounds. Echinacea. Heliotrope. Milkweed for monarchs. Alyssum. Agasache. Yarrow. Daisy. Pentas. Salvia for Hummingbirds.
Haha I liked the creative walkout at the beginning! I like your sense of humor in your videos ☺️
LOVED the video. Thanks for teaching about the various flowers you have planted to attract the pollinators. I have a couple of pots of wildflowers, plus a bunch of petunias. I let my spearmint bolt and I’ve never seen the assortment of pollinators coming to partake of the flowers such as carpenter bees, bumbles, honeys, moths, flies, and leafcutters. Absolutely amazing. Now if it would cool down a bit for my tomatoes to start producing again…
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Epic Gardener.
I was totally expecting Kevin to pop up from behind that very short flower bed, like maybe with a Gilly suit on. 😂
You popping out from behind the bushes... epic intro my guy!! 😍👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Adding cupia to this list!!!!! #1 hummer attracter.
Thanks for sharing 🌼.Those bouquets are quite lovely. 💐🌹. Looking forward for more of your videos.
The way you entered the video was hilarious! You’re awesome! I’m new to your channel and stoked I found you bc I live in San Diego too so it’s helpful knowing we’re in the same climate! Thank you so much for all you’re amazing videos and knowledge you’ve given me! Also my milkweed was gone within a month and now that the leaves are coming back I’m seeing the second round of monarch caterpillar eggs, yay! 🌻🪴✨🦋
Glad to have you here ont he channel :)
Calendula everywhere :] the bees, butterflies, flies all love it :]
I am 2 week new into learning how to garden. I am in zone 8 in Texas. I started my Herb garden in my APT.
we have a huge pink echinacea and there is this one butterfly that apparently now basically lives on this plant. Everytime it gets spooked and flutters off it will be back in less than 10 minutes. It's incredibly.
I just found out the coldest it gets in winter in San Diego is like 49 degrees, cries in Boston 😂
I have been growing purple bee balm and catnip 4 pollinators for the veg garden. Hummingbirds love the bee balm.
Hard to beat bee balm!
Awww. That was great to deliver the bouquets.
9:55 your spot on with the color, beautiful deep blood red! 💐🐝
nailed it with the intro
When I was a lad, we used to try to catch the milkweed seeds floating on the breeze because we would make a wish on it. I can't remember the last time I saw one. ... I did see a Monarch butterfly though last week *AND* a firefly and it's been years since I've seen either...My community has a pesticide/herbicide ban in place and this year has started "No Mow May" so that in the early spring after the melt, the insects and wild rabbits have the dandelions available.
The 'Flower sheath" is called Calyx iirc.
interesting that you can grow Salvia...it's also called the Sage of the Diviners, it can produce short lived but intense hallucinations.
What a memory!
Let’s not call it milkweed anymore, it’s « Monarch delight » suggested by Dr Doug Tallamy🌺❤️🙏🏻
Love that!!!!!! ❤❤❤ 💚💚💚💚💚
I started a bunch of marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, nasturtiums, and petunias from seed this year and have seen more Monarchs than ever! I do still need to plant some native milkweed though.
My petunias never produced.
@@wildheart5086 they take a long time to grow...I started mine indoors 8 weeks before the last frost, but maybe 10 weeks would have been better.
Basil herb feeds bees also. Thai and African basils.
I'm glad you mentioned milkweed. I am in Virginia and focus on native ornamental plants. Let me tell you... None of these have anything on mountain mint!!! There is a native mountain mint to California, Pycnanthemum californicum. Look into it. Dedicate a corner of your garden to it. I have a small patch right now... It's taking up about... Maybe a 2x1' section and I have no less than 50 bees and wasps on it at any one moment, but often I'd guess it's closer to 100+!!!
African blue basil" one of the two best pollinator attractors on the planet. It's a sterile hybrid of two other Basil plants. Must be started from a cutting.
never had a problem with lack of pollinators. bees love mustard flowers and you can plant them all year long. citrus trees are great for early spring flowers. bees, including bumblebees, and hummingbirds love them.
Ugh. I am going to need an EPIC milkweed garden for the 16 Monarch rearing kits I just received! I have common milkweed in my wild meadow and narrow-leaved swamp milkweed in my front flowerbed with Joe Pye, Coneflower and Aster.
I really enjoyed this video!!! 💐
I live in zone 3 and delphiniums grow great here. I have 3 and my oldest plant is 5-6 ft tall
Borage is pollenator crack. Rudbeckia is also a very popular plant. Zinnias and sunflowers too
Do Borage flowers like heat?
Oh man borage is nuts!
You’re so informative! Ty!!! Loving your videos and I’m happy to have found your channel!!!
I have a greenstalk and I will be growing veggies and some strawberries I want to attract more pollinators to it . I hope this works
omg the birds and the bees the flowers and the trees talk.
The monarch lay their chrysalis on the milkweed. They feed on Lantana. Zinnia and other small flowers
cinnamon basil for me this year attracted the most bees
I definitely need a pollinator garden. Flowers are the one thing I'm not specifically growing
At the start of last year I had the same opinion, if it doesn't produce food then I have no use for it. This year I planted a few pollinators and next year I will have 2 spots with a wide assortment.
i'd really like to start a native pollinator bed soon, some of these look like a good starting point!
That is exactly what I am in process of doing