There are many reasons why a gardener may not have pollinators:
You’re growing indoors
You’re growing under a pool cage
You’re growing a small garden
If this is you, then it's time to be the bee!
Being Your Own Bee
Regardless of what you may have heard in the past, you do not need bees or other pollinating bugs to pollinate your plants successfully. Here are some of my top tips for being your own bee!
Grow leafy greens
Shake or buzz pollinate tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant with a cute little electric pollinator kids love (Here is how bees do this!).
Other Options
If you do not feel hand-pollinating is the best option, here are my other tips on growing successfully without pollinators.
Grow parthenocarpic (naturally seedless) zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers!
Parthenocarpic Zucchini:
Dunja Zucchini from Johnny’s Seeds OR Tomato Growers
`Golden Glory Yellow Squash from Johnny’s Seeds
Parthenocarpic Cucumber:
Diva or Arkansas Little Leaf Cucumber from Tomato Growers OR Johnny’s Seeds. NOTE: There are many varieties of parthenocarpic cucumber available to you.
Grow a Pollinator Garden to Increase Your Fruit & Veggie Yields!
Almost every school garden has pollinator plants, which can be in your child’s garden too!
Growing a pollinator garden is super fun and highly educational. I recommend a few resources to help you and your child develop a beautiful pollinator garden together.
The curriculum I recommend includes:
Also: “This activity satisfies the Next Generation Science Standard 2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
And SC.2.L.16.1: “Observe and describe major stages in the lifecycles of plants and animals, including beans and butterflies.”
Here is a short list of great pollinator plants you can grow here in FL. These are all covered by the scholarship. If you need/want a curriculum, look in the files section for a curriculum I uploaded about growing pollinators!
Successfully Submitting Pollinator/Butterfly Plants to the Scholarship
When submitting pollinator or Pollinator/butterfly plants to the scholarship, there is an art to getting your submissions approved. These flowers are not ‘ornamental’ and have educational value. This is how I suggest submitting:
“My child is studying entomology, the study of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment, and other organisms. She is studying information about the large diversity of insects and the different insect lifecycles. She is being introduced to ecosystem-level insect roles such as pollinators, herbivores, and predators. Using our garden as a test subject, she also studies insects as agricultural pests.”
Submitting for Reimbursement
Submit your receipt in the Legacy System or the EMA :
Provider Name: Store you bought from
Instructional Material Elective Supplies Garden Supplies
Important! Don't forget that pesky Educational Benefit Form!!
Reimbursement Type (example: PE equipment, field trip, etc.): Science/STEM/Gardening
The item for which Reimbursement is Requested: Pollinator Plants
Learning subject area(s): STEM/Science/Botany/Biology/Gardening
Supporting Curriculum: https://www.flawildflowers.org/resource/wild-about-wildflowers-a-classroom-activity-guide/
The Importance of Bees
As a gardener, I feel it is vital to spread the word about the importance of bees in the gardening world. Bees are indispensable pollinators in agriculture, facilitating the reproduction of numerous crops and contributing substantially to the biodiversity of our ecosystems. Through their foraging activities, bees transfer pollen from male to female flower parts, a process vital for producing fruits and seeds. This intricate dance of pollination enhances crop yields and fosters genetic diversity within plant populations. Beyond the agricultural realm, bees also play a crucial role in supporting the growth of flowering plants, influencing the overall health of ecosystems. Understanding and appreciating the intricate relationship between bees and plants is fundamental for our food security and the preservation of ecological balance and resilience in our natural environments.
Here are some of my favorite educational resources regarding bees:
Thanks for reading!
Reach out to me with any questions or concerns by clicking here.
~ Leah Brooks
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