Welcome! My goal with this blog is to share my experiences in creating a healthy and beautiful pollinator-friendly garden in northeast Florida, zone 9B. I do not claim to be a great gardener. In truth, I’ve always had a less-than green thumb, unlike my mom and sister who can make things grow just by thinking about them. I was not born with an innate feeling for flowers, trees, or shrubs.
My love of gardening came about when I realized that it could expand my photography hobby. For about 18 years I’ve been into bird photography, but my passion for it waned in the past 5 years. I had failed to notice that there are thousands of other animal species that have wings and are just as brilliant and magical as birds. Then I learned that those little flying jewels were becoming scarce due to climate change and pesticide usage.
That was when I really started to notice insects. Of course, like most people, I was drawn to butterflies. How can you not get excited about a fluttering, living work of art? But soon enough, I noticed the metallic iridescence of a cuckoo bee and I couldn’t believe my eyes. How could I not have noticed something so shimmering and saturated with rich blue-green color? Well, I was hooked.
Once I realized that I could bring these little beings to my own front yard simply by offering them food, I had to set out on creating a garden just for them.
And that’s what I do. Buzzing Blossoms Flower Garden is my 2 acre work in progress. I have projects in flight (pun intended), such as the Project Zinnia where I am attempting to breed the perfectly colored and shaped zinnias to attract butterflies. My other project is Ty’s Garden, a memorial garden dedicated to my old friend Tiberius, a 48 year old Lesser Sulfur Crested Cockatoo who passed away in January 2024. And there will be Camellia Cove Garden, a shady protected area where my recently purchased camellias can spend the rest of their (hopefully) long lives. There are milkweed gardens and native plantings everywhere.
The ultimate intention is to provide a haven for insects, especially pollinators while also maintaining a beautiful landscape. Those two goals don’t always combine well. We’ll just have to see how this all turns out. Thanks for visiting!
Buzzing Blossoms 