{"id":6153,"date":"2025-05-08T13:38:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T17:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/?page_id=6153"},"modified":"2025-06-12T11:33:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T15:33:45","slug":"wanderings-may-2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/resources\/newsletters\/neighborhood-gardener-may-2025\/wanderings-may-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Wanderings May 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"fullwidth-text-block\"><div class=\"container px-0\"><div class=\"row align-items-start\"><div class=\"col-12\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wendy&#8217;s Wanderings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"intro\">Great Southeast Pollinator Census \u2013 August 22-23, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/wendy_wilber2021.jpg\" alt=\"Wendy Wilber\" class=\"wp-image-2859\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>May 6, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While adding new plants to my pollinator garden recently, I had a thought \u2014 this plant will be perfect for the upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/gsepc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Great Southeast Pollinator Census<\/a>. Scheduled for August 22nd and 23rd, 2025, the census invites gardeners across the Southeast to spend 15 minutes observing a single flowering plant and recording insect visitors. Participants will count and categorize pollinators such as bees, wasps, flies and butterflies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Launched in 2017 by the University of Georgia, this impactful citizen-science initiative has since expanded to include five southeastern states. Jeremy Rhoden, Florida\u2019s Census Coordinator, emphasizes the program\u2019s significance: \u201cThe census is an important citizen-science project that delivers real data that entomologists are able to utilize.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My pollinator garden already attracts a variety of bees and butterflies, but in true &#8220;A+ student&#8221; fashion, I\u2019m taking extra steps to optimize it ahead of this year\u2019s census. Here are the pollinator-friendly practices I\u2019ll be using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use Florida native plants.<\/strong> Native pollinators are adapted to native plants, which offer the nectar, pollen and habitat these insects need.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Select plants with continuous blooms.<\/strong> Ongoing blooms ensure food availability throughout the growing season, increasing the chances of observing pollinators during the census window.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Group the same plants together.<\/strong> Planting in clusters rather than scattering helps pollinators locate flowers more easily, a strategy promoted by the U.S. Forest Service: \u201cPollinators are more likely to visit a large group of the same plant than single, isolated plants.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diversify flower colors, shapes and sizes.<\/strong> This attracts a wider variety of pollinator species, each with different preferences and feeding methods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deadhead spent blooms.<\/strong> Removing old flowers encourages plants to produce more blossoms, keeping the garden attractive and productive for pollinators.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Provide shallow water sources.<\/strong> A birdbath or even a shallow dish with pebbles offers pollinators a safe place to hydrate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid pesticides.<\/strong> Even \u201cpollinator-safe\u201d pesticides can harm beneficial insects. The Xerces Society recommends eliminating pesticide use to protect pollinator health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/bumble_bee_pink_thistle300x400-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"A bee on a bright pink thistle flower\" class=\"wp-image-6155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/bumble_bee_pink_thistle300x400-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/bumble_bee_pink_thistle300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Pollinator gardens play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity by offering food and shelter to beneficial insects. Participating in the census is a simple yet powerful way to contribute to scientific research\u2014and to deepen our appreciation for the creatures that keep our ecosystems blooming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join us this August and become part of a regional movement to protect and celebrate pollinators. Your 15 minutes can make a difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn how to participate and more at <a href=\"https:\/\/gsepc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Great Southeast Pollinator Census website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":6199,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"featured_post":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6153","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6153"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6235,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6153\/revisions\/6235"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}