When I count my blessings at the end of the year, family and health always come first, along with coffee, but I'm also grateful to have a garden.
While we long for the fickle northern seasons, frost-covered trees and bright red berries, the shade of winter drumsticks, we Floridians can have a garden full of flowers year-round. I consider gardening a recreation of the soul; There's nothing like planting Addis Ababa, trimming a few bushes to find a specimen you've forgotten, or finding a pupa behind a leaf that promises beautiful butterflies.
All the orchids I have in the palm of my hand are ready to bloom, as well as the live oaks and okra that are rooted and sprouting long shoots into the trees. The song of the birds in the oak is good company when I work; At night we all sat in the adjoining loggia and enjoyed the cricket music. It's like heaven in the woods.
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Lost pollen
The Harvard School of Public Health recently published an alarming article that says the loss of pollinators is contributing to the removal of healthy foods from diets around the world, leading to an increase in chronic diseases and an increase in the number of deaths. According to the study, "increasing human pressure on natural systems is leading to an alarming loss of biodiversity," including a significant annual decline in insect numbers. 75% of all plants, including fruits, vegetables and nuts, are important pollinators.
We are all neighbors in Palm Beach, sharing the beauty and benefits of this beautiful island. But every day, trucks loaded with chemicals cross the bridge, spraying poison on grass and fences. I stopped and talked to some technicians who use these chemicals. Many say they spray flies with imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid that kills all insects it touches and stays in the soil for years. They don't tell me what other products they use, which is a little scary. Are they so bad we don't even know who they are?
They all insist the product is "perfectly safe" even though nicotinoids kill all insects and are known human carcinogens. Chemical companies convince homeowners to do weekly or monthly "preventive" maintenance, which is worse for the environment because plants are sprayed regularly, not when the problem is there. Today I participated in two imidacloprid treatments. A large fence in one corner was dripping with pesticide when I asked the technician what the consequences would be for the passengers and children in the carriage. He assured me that the fence would be dry in an hour. Meanwhile, liquid chemical waste spills onto the sidewalks, eventually making its way to the Coastline. It's unnecessary and sad.
New types of insecticides that have appeared in the last 20 years, including neonicotinoids and fipronil, have caused particular harm through routine use and storage in the environment. They clean the soil by killing the microorganisms that depend on the plants. And the negative effects extend to neighboring countries. At a test site in Germany, 75% of insect losses were recorded in untreated PA near chemically treated fields.
Insects are the basis of all food chains that support ecosystem biodiversity. They grow most types of plants, maintain healthy soil, decompose waste, recycle nutrients, control pests, and provide endless fun and beauty if you count fireflies, butterflies, and crickets. Like it or not, we humans cannot live without them. Don't rush to kill them all.
Read more : Norton Gardens' new butterfly oasis showcases non-native benefits
Resolution for the new year
Here are some resolutions for 2023 that we can all consider.
1. Restore biodiversity to our landscape by increasing species diversity and preventing monocultures from endangering wildlife habitats.
2. Growing native species to support the high-protein butterflies and insects that our birds and wildlife need.
3. Reduce the amount of chemicals we pour into our landscape that kill beneficial insects and pollinators, poison the air and soil, and run into water.
Read more : Green gardening: This type of plant will do well when bad weather hits Palm Beach.
To start the year off right, here are some great native plants that will boost biodiversity and add beauty and interest to your garden: Gumbo limbo ( Bursera simaruba ) is one of our favorite trees from Cinnamon Bark to Bronze . It grows quickly in sun or shade, reaching a maximum height of 50 feet. In winter, they drop for a short time, but this time the small white flowers attract pollinators and birds eat the fruit.
Cinnamon bark ( Canella winterana ) is another great little tree to add regularly to your Palm Beach garden. With its elegant open habit and fragrant glossy evergreen foliage, it is excellent as a specimen or for temporary screening. Salt and drought tolerant, enjoys sun or shade, but is listed as critically endangered by the state of Florida. Clusters of red flowers that appear in summer attract hummingbirds and provide nectar for sea lions and other butterflies. The red fruit is eaten by birds and mammals. It also has many medicinal uses.
I spent a day weeding and mowing the garden and came across some milkweeds ( Aesclepias sp. ) which I quickly cut down inches from the ground. Most of you know that Euphorbia is a host plant for the rapidly declining Monarch butterfly. Monarchs lay their eggs on leaves and when the young caterpillars hatch, they eat the leaves before crawling to form the instars that hatch into butterflies.
It is best to cut leafless stems to the ground to avoid harmful protozoan bacteria OE ( Ophryocystis electroscirrha ), which can build up on non-native milkweed species and kill butterflies. We should grow as many Euphorbia as possible for kings, but try to find one of the three native species: Asclepias tuberosa , A. incarnata or A. Pernnis.
Red plants ( Rivina humilis ) are covered in bright red berries, making them a wonderful garden ornament this time of year. This little border plant does well in shady areas, so I use it as a bush plant with croton pin and blue pencil. The tiny white spikes of the flowers appear alongside the berries, so they double as decoration. Birds love the fruit, which appears year-round.
Finally, the beautiful blue flowers of mist flowers or ageratum ( Conoclinium coelestinum ) are Florida's main butterfly attractions. It likes sun, but it does well in partial shade; It is a beautiful border plant with bushy heads of lavender blue flowers. It provides nectar for many other butterflies and moths.
Enjoy your chemical free garden and Happy New Year!
This article originally appeared in the Palm Beach Daily News: Gardening in Palm Beach is "solace for the soul."
