Habitat assessment by Coral Bells

Coral Bells's picture
Assessment results
Answer givenOur advice
Are there areas with bare ground and very few plants?: 
No
Consider increasing the amount of bare ground. Ground nesting bees are more likely to nest where there is bare ground.
Do you have native bunchgrasses?: 
None.
Increase the amount of bunch grass in your yard. Many bees nest and overwinter at the base of these grasses.
Are there bee nesting blocks?: 
No
Supplement your habitats with nest blocks. Learn how to build them here.
What is the main type of vegetation in the area you are evaluating (park, garden, yard, farm...)?: 
Mix of native and non-native plants
Increase the amount of native plants in your yard.
How much of the whole yard, park, farm or green space is garden space or wild/natural vegetation?: 
A lot. More than 40%.
You are doing a great job managing for pollinators!
How much of the garden is planted with flowering annual or perennial plants (including shrubs, vegetables and trees)?: 
Not much (1-25%)
Consider supplementing your garden with some native, pollinator friendly plants and converting some lawn!
Is there fresh, clean water always available with a perch that bees could stand on and drink?: 
No
Consider adding a water element. This can be as simple as a bowl with some rocks thrown in for bees to stand on while drinking.
Does the garden use herbicides?: 
Yes, but I have confirmed they are not toxic to bees.
Consider reducing your herbicide use.
How many different pollinator counts will your contribute this year?: 
Five or more.
We'd love to see pollinator counts from any of the plants in your garden as many times as you can contribute. Thanks!

Score: 159 (out of a possible 210)

We have mostly woods with a branch running through it for water for the wild animals, birds, pollinators, etc. My flower garden is at the end of the property with lots of perennials, native and non-native; some reseeding native and non-native annuals; vines and a few shrubs like hydrangeas.. I have planted this garden for pollinators and for color from early spring through frost. The amount of pollinators that come is amazing and sometimes it's like a crazy freeway there are so many of them. I have tried to leave some bare soil for the burrowing native bees, but this year it rained almost daily for months on end and any bare soil ended up with tone of weeds which I pulled over and over. The forested area which is most of the property has oaks, hickory, tulip poplar, sweetgum, muscle wood and many other desirable trees and many native wildflowers. 1/4 of the property was once cleared and put into pasture for horses more than 30 years ago and then left alone to grow back into woods. It has invasive Japanese honeysuckle, Winter flowering honeysuckle, Chinese ligustrum, which I am constantly pulling out.

Which garden or space are you describing?: 
Maple House flower garden
How large is your yard?: 
22.00
acres
Are there areas with sandy loamy soil?: 
Yes
Are there low traffic areas where the soil is not turned over, tilled or plowed?: 
Yes
Are there areas dead wood, brush piles or snags present?: 
Yes
Are there areas with pithy twigs (elderberry, cane fruit, sumac, etc…)?: 
Yes
Are the flowering plants that you have pollinator friendly?: 
Most (more than 75%)
How many flowers in your garden bloom in spring?: 
10 or more
How many flowers in your garden bloom in fall?: 
10 or more
How many flowers in your garden bloom in summer?: 
10 or more
Are flowers planted in clumps?: 
Yes.
How much mulch is on the ground?: 
Some.
Are pesticides used in the garden?: 
No