Spring equinox is just around the corner and with every sun break we’re out in the herb beds.  We’ve noticed tiny shoots pushing up through the soil and soon bees will be out doing their work as buds break out on trees and bushes.  So as you are cleaning herb beds and looking at possible new areas for planting, keep in mind the pollinators (bees of many varieties and butterflies of all sorts and hummingbirds) that we depend on.    Most herbs develop flowers which could certainly be beneficial to pollinators.  This month we offer some herbs which are great for pollinators for consideration as you visit spring plant sales.  M­­­­ost of them will be available in our booth at the Home and Garden Idea Fair on April 28th or the Camas Plant Sale on May12th.

These herbs are all perennials with the exception of borage which is a prolific self-seedin biennial.  Because the low lying areas of Clark County are in hardiness zone 8, these plants shouldn’t require any special winterization.  For those of you who live in the outlying hills, rosemary especially could use some mulching to get through the hard periods of winter we’ve had the past few years.  This group of herbs will also supply flowers in a variety of colors beginning in late spring and continuing through early fall. The cool thing about not only these herbs but herbs generally is they have so many uses and these in particular will be well liked by pollinators.