I love native plants. I love some other plants too but there is just something about natives that will always have a place in my heart. My city lot is small and my flower gardens are not large by anyone's standards, but I'm always amazed at the life that is attracted to a small city garden. Most days there are hundreds of damselflies and many evenings I watch the dozens of fireflies and I'm always seeing different types of spiders and insects. This week an all black bee caught my eye on the purple prairie clover. After a bit of searching online I believe it's a 'longhorn bee'. There was an all black wasp pollinating the horsemint last year but this one is new to me.

The photo isn't great but I thought it worth sharing....Perhaps you have some great insects in your garden too. Even a small corner of a small city lot can harbor a good deal of diversity. It makes me smile to think that a small gesture like planting some beautiful flowers might just make a difference.

If you'd like to learn more about creating and maintaining a garden that is beneficial to pollinators check out this great link : https://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/G4001.pdf