Homeowners planting flowers in their yards thinking they're saving bees

[elleng]

are basically planting poison plants.

Many of the plants you buy at Home Depot and Lowe's may be treated with bee-killing neonictinoids. Because there's no clear labeling, many good-intentioned gardeners end up poisoning the very bees they are trying to help! http://ow.ly/xakJk (*Home Depot has indicated it is working on safer alternatives, but Lowe's has not yet responded).

That's just one of the many things you'll learn from our fascinating photo essay featuring beekeepers and experts! Check it out >> http://ow.ly/xakJk The more you learn, the more you can help protect our bees!

https://www.facebook.com/Earthjustice/photos/a.10150167454470301.407971.15771560300/10154197529240301/?type=1&fref=nf


(xpost from Gardening)

[hollysmom]

1. I like growing from bulbs and rhizomes - do they count?

Home depot flowers suck any way. I go to the garden store where there is someone to advise you and try to buy native plants rather than fancy ones. Although with global warming,they won't last forever, heh.

hope those shrubs are OK, will ask next time.

[elleng]

3. I don't know,

I'm not a pro. Ask in Gardening.

[JimDandy]

2. Yikes! Glad you posted this...

Had no idea and am just getting ready to design and plant my garden.

[dgibby]

12. Have you checked out the Old Farmer's Amanac

interactive download for garden design and planning? It's great and free. I found it on Facebook, but I think you could find it with Google if you don't do FB. If you enter your zip, it'll give you 1st and last frost dates, plants indigenous to your area, when and how to plant, companion planting,etc. They seem to have though of everything.

[druidity33]

42. thanks for that tip! nt.

[dgibby]

14. Best advice: order from organic seed/gardening sites.

Also, if you are given "pass along" plants, check to see if the person offering them to you uses any chemicals, pesticides, etc, as that's what's killing off the bees and monarchs. The garden forum is full of good advice from very knowledgable DU gardeners who will be more than happy to offer advice on growing organically.

My goal is to get rid of all the grass, replace it will organic clover (stays green all year, never needs mowing, attracts pollenators, and is a great soil amendment. I'm also going to plant flowers that will attract birds, bees, and monarchs (they need milkweed), and organic veggies. Also, I never use any chemicals, only natural weed, insect control methods.

Google Permaculture and organic gardening for more tips.

Happy gardening, everyone! Spring is only about 30 days away!

[jwirr]

4. What about local greenhouses and sales catalogs like Gueneys?

[Curmudgeoness]

32. You can always ask them

at your local greenhouse. In fact, please do ask. If they are using this, they should know why you will not buy from them. That is what I intend to do.....I will always ask from now on.

I don't know about the catalogs, but I would also make sure that they are not using this chemical before I gave them my business. I bet that catalogs that are not using it will make that known.

[jwirr]

44. Good idea. Thank you.

[gollygee]

5. Or they could just let the dandelions be free. n/t

[katsy]

7. That's what we did.

Dandelion greens are delish

[sarge43]

13. And white clover

Honey bees love flowering herbs, thyme, mint, sage, etc. Old fashion roses like rugosas. Another possibility are wild flowers. Honey bees have short tongues; your bee friendly flowers should be relatively open.

[Phentex]

27. we have clover that they seem to love...

and we put no chemicals in our yard.

[Art_from_Ark]

41. I don't know why dandelions are considered weeds

I always loved seeing my backyard full of yellow dandelions (and white clover blossoms), and the bees they attracted.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Always ask and read the labels on the pots.

Noticed this crap in potting soil,brought it to the attention of a Garden Manager,Duh,what is that.

[OregonBlue]

8. I try to get most of my bulbs, seeds, starts from my neighbors who are old

timers. They have plants that have done well in my climate (high and dry with cold winters and blazing summers). It's amazing how many say yes. In return for the starts, I dig up and turn over their flower beds. Something they have a hard time doing.

[RockaFowler]

9. We have bees all around our house

They take care of our Palm Trees (they love the seeds when new growth comes out)
They love our Bougainvilla. The butterflies love it, too (my purple one is one of their favs).
We also have Passion Flowers - they are beautiful purple flowers that the bees love.
We have Crepe Myrtles and Night Blooming Jasmine and Bottle Brush Trees - all loved by the bees.

Most of these plants were purchased at Lowe's. My husband works there and we've never had a problem with bees or butterflies.

[calimary]

20. We have manzanita bushes in our yard. MAN do the bees love those!

Those bushes are all in bloom now. And it's CHOW TIME!!!!

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. just start from seeds! easy...fun...satisfying.

And many colorful annuals are simple from seeds- cosmos, marigolds, zinnias to name but a few.

[Treant]

15. This

My first batch of seeds (all heirloom from my own garden) are started, the stuff that takes a longer period to mature.

Some stuff I have to order yearly as it doesn't breed true.

[MynameisBlarney]

11. Yeah, my dad bought his last rose from home depot

several months ago.
He destroyed it after he actually saw bees and other beneficial insects dropping dead seconds after landing on it.

They are poison. Don't buy them and SPREAD THE WORD!

[elleng]

16. That's awful!

My roses, NOT bought from home depot or lowes, appear to be doing well. I hope (and think) they're surviving our latest snow + cold. Too cold and windy for me to be with them now!

[SoapBox]

17. Seriously?

Big corps and their toxic crap...they're gonna be the death of us all.

[seveneyes]

18. Sourwood trees are great for many things

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxydendrum

[pansypoo53219]

19. we get plants & seeds from a WI company. jungs.

accidentally bought the wrong zinnias, but boy did everything love the big flowers, we are in mile + actually had a hummingbird in our yard. buut that was the bee balm. + i did not see a bee on them all summer. we get a lot of free squirrel things. bees love the yard. best catnip too.
and we ignore the dandelions mostly.

[AtomicKitten]

21. I suspect Home Depot and Lowe's don't really give a damn.

Perhaps public pressure will move them to find safer alternatives.

[VScott]

22. Sounds like a job for...

Dr. Beeeeeeeeeez....

[stage left]

23. Thank you for posting!

I haven't thought of this. I usually buy my plants at my local farmer's market. This spring I will ask if they spray pesticides on their stuff before I purchase it. If so, I'll look for a source for organic plants. I don't use anything except insecticdal soap, so at certain times of the year I have a multitude of honey bees. The black gum tree in our backyard is like a magnet to them when it blooms in the spring. You can stand under the canopy and it's like the leaves hum. It's like being inside the heart of the universe.

[Curmudgeoness]

26. I think that it is more than just spraying the plants.

They are also using neonicotinoids to treat seeds, and the plants take the chemicals in. This chemical lasts from 30-45 days.

I am going to make sure that I ask my local nurseries about the use of these chemicals at any point in the growing of their plants before I buy my flowers this spring. Since I do not use chemicals, nor do any of my neighbors, we would all be really upset to find that we are bringing them in with our flowers.

[stage left]

30. + 1

Thanks. I didn't think about seeds. Mostly I just divide things to fill in any holes, but I do have a few pots to refurbish.

[catchnrelease]

24. Try for natives

The best you can do for pollinators is to plant things that are native to your area. While not as important for bees, it's very important for butterflies. Most species have specific plants that they need for their caterpillars to munch on, and nectar plants for the butterflies themselves. Many plants will be ok for the nectar but if the caterpillars don't have the leaves they require, then you will not end up with butterflies reproducing in your yard.

The Monarchs are a perfect example--the adults can get nectar from a variety of plants but the 'cats' only can live on milkweed. I would love to get some Pipevine Swallowtails in my yard, but the 'cats' only eat a specific vine which doesn't normally grow in my area, so the butterflies would not normally be residents around here.

Anyway, planting things that should be in your area will help increase the butterflies that should be residents. It will also help the native bees as well as the honey bees.

[phylny]

36. I bought milkweed plants trying to help the Monarchs,

but goodness - they were repeatedly infested with aphids, and after repeatedly washing them off, only to have the plants die, I gave up.

[catchnrelease]

39. Yes

Those yellow/orange aphids are almost specific to milkweed. They come out of nowhere and cover the stems for sure. I just squirted a couple of my resprouting milkweed off yesterday. Normally milkweed doesn't like too much water so I wonder if that was the problem. I have also used something like kleenex tissue to wipe as many as I could off, but they always come back. I have had nursery people tell me that those aphids won't kill the plants but they can sure make them look peak-ed.

[mountain grammy]

25. Wow, who da thunk? Big K&R and shared on facebook too.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. This is an issue we have been trying very hard to inform people about

as part of the Master Gardener program in my area. And it's been fairly successful. Most of the local garden centers now either no longer sell neonicotinoid-treated plants at all or attach labels to the plants they grow themselves that they can guarantee neonics weren't used. But the big-box stores can't guarantee how their plants were grown so we advise people to get their plants from places that can.

[hopemountain]

29. has anyone contacted the home shopping networks

regarding their garden plants? i haven't yet - everything they show is so gorgeous - but now i wonder about the safety of the plants for insects. i have never purchased any because by the time i get the money together they are sold out.

[Pathwalker]

35. I have been very disappointed with all the plants I bought

from QVC, especially Cottage Farms. We purchased 2 Blue Hibiscus trees, they bloomed pink. They honored the guarantee, and sent us 2 more blue trees, that bloomed pink, then promptly died. The original 2 trees had ONE bloom last year. I won't buy from them again. I had better luck with Roberta's Gardens, but check carefully; one of the agave plants I ordered grows to 20 feet - I had to give it away. I'm also STILL waiting for my orchid cactus to bloom. From now on, I will only purchase from growers I know, who garden organically. Honestly, I don't need any more plants, and my husband is hiding the catalogs as they come in. If you're considering buying from QVC, check out the reviews before you spend your money.

[hopemountain]

40. thank you, pathwalker

for sharing your experience. we do have to be knowledgeable and informed when purchasing plants. i am an organic gardening seed catalog addict.

[BrotherIvan]

31. Great thread

I don't have a garden, though I wish I did, but it is great to get the info out there.

[Autumn]

33. I start mine from seeds. The hummingbirds, bees and butterflies seem to love them.

[Blue_In_AK]

34. Most of my flowers are perennials now

that have been in for years, many of which I started from seeds. I think the bees wlll be fine at my house.

I actually have a friend with beehives a couple blocks away. I'm sure his bees visit me in the summer.

[phylny]

37. We have two huge honeysuckle trees that I have

forbidden my husband from cutting down. When in bloom, they are heavy with bees. Plus they smell wonderful!

[csziggy]

38. This year I will buy all my plants at the local native plant nursery

They'll be more expensive, but they won't be treated. And I will be sure that they will not be invasive species!

I want to get more milkweed and some other butterfly and humming bird attracting plants. Our bees seem extremely happy with the Spanish needle weeds that are a nuisance and impossible to get rid of - I'm only trying to get rid of those in the beds right around the house and leaving them everywhere else.

[Tsiyu]

43. Grow the easystuff from seeds

Zinnia, morning glory, cosmos.

And plant perennials from seeds, or tubers.

Support your small, local nurseries, too.

Great post. Without the bees, we are screwed.

[pipi_k]

45. One of the best plants

I ever had was a Butterfly Bush I started from seed.

The seeds are almost microscopic, so I was surprised when I actually was able to grow one. It lasted for a number of years before the cold ended up killing it off.

It grew to be about 8 or 10 feet high.

Every year I would go out to trim off the dead blooms. I was surrounded by bumblebees who basically ignored me as I worked. Quite awesome...golden sunny August days, a quiet yard, and the bzzzzzz of plump and fuzzy little bumblebees.

Oh, and Bee Balm is fun too. Again, grown from seed, and it's been coming up in my garden for at least 15 years. The bees fall asleep on the flowers.