Pollinator Garden Made to Order

 Having pollinator gardens is the best way to feed our pollinators which, in turn, helps gardens be as productive as possible. I am limited for space, and I am not allowed to have a garden in my neighborhood, so I depend on the plants in my yard to be useful to pollinators. Almost every plant in my yard produces a flower. I didn't initially get to plan my landscaping, because this house was built before we found it and decided to buy it. Since moving in, I have made a point to plant any plant that produces flowers which help to feed our pollinators. To name a few, there are roses, tea olives, azaleas, day lilies, clematis, and any bulb plant I can get to come up. I have different seasonal flowers which help sustain our pollinators as long as possible and provides colorful flowers throughout the year. I even have lenten roses that flower in the winter. I have planted wild flowers in large pots on my driveway to ensure full sun they need. I figure out any way I can to provide flowers for the pollinators. There are even shade tolerable wildflowers planted in my shaded flower pots.

Pollinators: any form of insect, bee, butterfly, hummingbird, or anything that can carry pollen from one plant to another. They are necessary to ensure productive vegetable and fruit growth to support our human needs and even wildlife. If you have a garden, reserve at lease two rows to provide flowers for the pollinators. A pollinator garden will attract pollinators to the garden which increases productivity of your fruits and vegetables. It is proven that gardens produce more when there are more pollinators nearby. Drawing them to your garden with planted flowers is your best option to increase garden productivity if you don't have bee boxes nearby. If you do have bee boxes, the bees will do their jobs in the garden, and enjoy the extra production of nectar by the flowers you plant. The bees will produce more honey in their hives if their food sources are plentiful. If the bees have to travel too far away to find food, they are more likely to abandon their home for a closer one. So, keep their food sources abundant nearby for as long as you can. Plant flowers that bloom at different times throughout the year.

Pollinators serve one of the most important rolls on earth. Without them, our food sources would be seriously limited. To solve the problem of limited food sources, please continue to plant flowers for the pollinators to feed on. I hope you have learned how important our pollinators are and how to provide food sources for them and how to attract them to your garden. In the meantime, good luck with your ventures of serving, solving, and learning!

Breathe!

 Breathe! Take a breath! Suck wind! However you want to say it, just breathe! I know it has been a while since I posted, but I finally got a minute to breathe. I also, woke up with writing on my mind. I had a very vivid dream about writing last night, so maybe it's a sign. As mentioned in my last post, we have all had to figure out how to get back on our feet after the COVID-19 pandemic. My coping mechanism was to get a job. With the inflation and shrink-flation (paying more for less) plaguing our nation, I had to find work. The pandemic hammered our family owned business, and five years later, we are just beginning to see a little tiny tunnel of daylight. Our fingers are crossed that nothing else major hits us for a while. My new job has helped us stay afloat, but inflation is still killing us. The thought runs through my mind from time to time about getting a second job. Sadly, I don't have the time. My contract position keeps my schedule very erratic and unpredictable. My calendar changes daily based on the work load, which makes it hard to even consider a second job. I don't hold normal work hours, and at times, I have to hold events in the evening after normal daytime work hours and occasionally on the weekends. This makes it hard to commit to any other job. That would not be fair to another employer for scheduling.

My contract job just fell into my lap. I had considered getting back into the work force, but knowing that my skillset was outdated by 20 years after taking a mom-break, it looked like a daunting task. I didn't want to spend the time to go back to college at my age and didn't have the money to do so either, especially after the pandemic financial crisis. I quite accidentally found this position due to a scholarship the my daughter won through our local soil and water conservation district. This job required nothing more than the knowledge and experience that I already had and the willingness to polish a few skills. It was a Godsend! I am very thankful for it and work with a great group of people. Even though it is a remote position, I do get to spend time with my co-workers during special occasion events. It also allows me to deal with things at home as needed.

With this position, I have learned more about my state, community and environment. I also get to teach others, students and adults alike, about how to take care of our environment. I encourage you to look into ways to care for your community and environment. Being a supporter of your local soil and water conservation district is a great way to become involved in what is going on locally and a great way to learn how you can help your community.

So, as I take a small breath coming out of a stressful time with limited funds, I have found a way to serve my community by taking care of it and teaching others how. This job position has solved the problem of surviving with limited funds, and I have learned that you don't necessarily have go back to school after being unemployed for 20 years. Keep your eyes and options open for opportunities. In the meantime, good luck with your ventures of serving, solving, and learning!