The thought behind No Mow May is to leave more flowers for the early season bees. I look like a No Mow May supporter because I just don’t get around to mowing all that early. Think of me as bee friendly, or possibly just lazy. I’ve been watching the bumblebees work the flowers on the gooseberries – but whether it’s gooseberries, apples, cherries, serviceberries, plums, pears or raspberries, I like planting trees. Admitted, someone else is harvesting the trees I planted in Colorado, in Libby, in South Dakota – but we plant trees for a future that we may not be in. And maybe for the bees.
The honey bee didn’t immigrate to the Americas until 1622 – but the entomologist folks claim that there are about 4,400 different species of bees that are native to North America. Honeybees, native to Europe, don’t pollinate tomatoes or eggplants. It’s the bumblebees that take care of pollinating blueberries – and our huckleberry is a vaccinium.
Still, when you admire my un-mowed yard, I’d like it if you think of me as bee-friendly instead of lazy.
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