Spring has arrived in full force and with it comes new life! It is a time of rebirth and a fresh start. Mother Earth blesses us with new life all around, from blooming radiant flowers, to freshly budded leaves and little hatchlings. As the weather continues to warm, you would have noticed our pollinator friends returning and buzzing their way around. Here at Maze Apothecary we honor and appreciate our pollinator friends and here is why.
To put it plainly, without pollinators the human race and the Earth’s ecosystem would cease to exist. Over 80% of all flowering plants on the earth need help with pollination. Pollinators provide pollination services to over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1200 crops. The next time you sit down to a meal remember the pollinators that helped to provide that for you.
There are many species of pollinators, however, the most commonly known types are birds, wasps, butterflies, moths and bees. Of course the bee is probably the most known pollinator from that group. The bee, as you might have noticed, is the logo for Maze Apothecary! There has been a lot of effort to save our declining bee population. Bees are the most important group of pollinating insects and are key not only to the reproduction of hundreds of thousands of wild flowering plant species but also to the yield of about 85 percent of all cultivated crops.
Riddle Me This: Which pollinator is known by everyone, cannot be seen, has no shape, and no odor? The WIND!
So, how can we honor Mother Earth and our relationship with pollinators? How can we contribute to saving each other and therefore our planet?
Two of the easiest things we can do are:
Support farmers and beekeepers by buying local honey and locally produced organic foods. Check out your local farmers market which are active during the spring and summer.
Plant flowers and plants that will attract pollinators such as
Basil
Lavender
Sage
Borage
Geranium
For more on growing for pollinators, Visit https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/attracting-butterflies-hummingbirds/7265.html to get full lists of different types of plants that will attract certain types of pollinators.
There is a beautiful and delicate balance between the relationship of the pollinator and the plant. The goal of every living organism, including plants, is to reproduce. Successful pollination allows plants to produce seeds. Seeds are key to producing the next generation of plants, which provide food for the next generation of pollinators and other wildlife. And therefore providing food to the next generation of the human race. We all are delicately connected and need each other to survive.
We at Maze Apothecary invite you to play your unique role in cherishing our earth by embracing the pollinators. We invite you to expand your mindset about who they are and the importance of their continued existence. We invite you to continue to learn about and make room for them. After all, when it comes to life on this planet, we’re all in this together.