Warm, sunny days over the next week will keep the flowers and fruits developing in the garden. While some plants do not need a pollinator, most do require the work of a busy bee, bumblebee or other pollinator to take pollen from flower to flower to produce fruits and vegetables.
- Attract pollinators to the garden. Bees, butterflies and birds are among the pollinators that ensure that fruits and vegetables will produce a harvest. Whether the bees are honeybees, bumblebees or native solitary bees, they all help pollinate the garden. Encourage them to visit the garden by planting a variety of flowering plants that produce blossoms and nectar from spring to fall.
- Provide a water source for the pollinators. Like all creatures, food, shelter and water are essential for survival. A birdbath, a small pond or other water source helps keep pollinators visiting the garden. Change the water regularly to prevent mosquito larvae from developing into blood-sucking adults.
- Plant native flowers for late spring to fall blossoms. The Cowpen Daisy, also known as Golden Crownbeard, thrives in the Texas heat. Once established, it prefers a dry soil but will also grow in medium and moist soils; water occasionally during the hottest months. Gray-green foliage and two-inch-wide yellow flowers attract honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies and other native pollinators during the dusty days of August. They are also a food source for caterpillars. The seeds provide a fall feast for quail, doves and other seed-eating birds. It is an annual, but will reseed in fall.
- Passionflower vines also attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnate) is native to the southeastern U.S., including Texas. It thrives in sandy, moist, well-drained soil in partial or full sun. The flowers bloom all summer and develop into edible fruits called maypops, which may be eaten fresh or made into jelly. The lavender flowers provide a colorful addition to the garden as the vines clamber over trellises, walls or fences.
- Monitor and prune trees and shrubs as needed to remove water sprouts and root shoots. While most pruning is accomplished in late winter when the tree or shrub is dormant, the fast-growing, vertical shoots should be removed immediately. Shoots emerging from the roots should also be removed as soon as possible to prevent them from overwhelming the tree, especially if it is a grafted tree. The rootstock is a different variety and generally not as desirable as the grafted portion of the tree.