On Saturday, March 14, the California Center for Urban Horticulture (CCUH) sponsored a Pollinator Gardening Workshop as part of their Sustainable Backyard series. Co-sponsors were the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and the UC Davis Arboretum. Over 100 participants attended on a beautiful day that was perfect for viewing both pollinators and plants.
Along with me, entomologists on the program were Robbin Thorp, Neal Williams, and Eric Mussen. Participants learned about both wild bees and honey bees, their importance to our food supply, and UC Davis bee research. Providing for bees in urban gardens and how this is done at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven were also discussed.
Ellen Zagory, Director of Horticulture at the UC Davis Arboretum, spoke about her favorite bee plants and presented design ideas for successional bloom.
In the afternoon, workshop attendees had the opportunity to see these ideas in practice. After visiting the Haven, where Robbin and I answered questions, participants could head to the Arboretum plant sale for a “workshop only” hour of sales.
If you weren't able to make it, the good news is that the presentations will be available on the CCUH web site. Other Arboretum plant sale dates this spring are April 5, April 26, and May 17.
And mark your calendars for May 9, National Public Gardens Day. There will be an open house at the Haven from 5:30 to 7 that evening, with a garden tour at 6.
