Insect Diversity Project

This is the first year I’ve had a garden in ten years. I’ve had a little success, but, more importantly, I’ve learned a lot. And I think I’ve figured out that one of my biggest problems is a lack of pollinators. Many of my plants appear to flourish, but produce few fruits (tomatoes and cantaloupe) and veggies (peppers). And I don’t see many insects around, save for the millions of mosquitoes that inhabit our space. I had even been thinking that maybe I should look into a beehive to provide pollinators for my garden. Then I came across this awesome article from Mother Earth News about natural insect management, which explains that the healthiest and most productive gardens are diverse ecosystems. Essentially you need a lot of different flowering plants and a lot of different insects. Flowering plants and food plants should be planted together, rather than split into separate food beds and ornamental beds. It makes so much sense. And it’s given me an entirely new way to think about my garden, especially as I begin to plan for my fall garden. I’m still thinking about the beehive too.

Some of the bounty from my garden, including a very large zucchini.