The Buzz on Pollinators!

Gro-Town Podcast

Let’s discover all the bee-autiful basics our gardens need to grow & flourish! In this episode, we’re joined by Momcat Kelly, founder of the Detroit Butterfly Nursery! She’s got the sweet skinny on pollinators - who they are, why we need them, and how to attract them to our gardens! Plus, Miss Danielle finds a musical way to celebrate Gardening 101! Music, laughs, and more on the only gardening podcast that's just for kids!

www.gro-town.com

The Detroit Butterfly Nursery is a Mother-Daughter project promoting community science and pollinator conservation. They're passionate about educating others about the importance of planting native plants and milkweed for Monarchs. Detroit Butterfly Nursery is on IG.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

introducing a celebration of growing stuff.
Welcome to Gro-Town where we celebrate the love of gardening together.
I'm Miss Danielle and today I've brought my trusty guitar to celebrate with us and just as we're coming together today as gardening partners are plants and seeds need reliable partners to growing is serious business and our gardening goodies simply can't do it alone here instead of talking about it.
Let's try singing about it.
Well you know that reminds me this show is serious business and and I can't do it alone.
Maybe I should call another friend to help me out today.
Yeah I'll think about it.
Okay.
Okay back to the song.
Well well you know it really is amazing how working together with a dedicated team can really help you achieve your goals.
Oh and that teamwork really does make the dream work.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay here we go.
Well I've got me a packet of seeds.
A packet of vegetable seeds.
Indeed.
Well I got me a packet of seeds and to grow they'll need some what do they need?
They need water but that's not all they need.
Well I got me a packet of seeds,
a packet of vegetable seeds.
Indeed.
Well I got me a packet of seeds and to grow they'll also need what else do they need Sunshine?
That's right.
Light and sunshine but that's not all.
Well I got me a packet of seeds a packet of vegetable seeds.
Indeed.
Well I got me a packet of seeds and to grow they'll also need or what else we said?
Water,
Sunshine,
soil.
That's right but there's one other thing that our seeds need to grow in the garden?
Well I got me a packet of seeds.
A packet of vegetable seeds.
Indeed.
Well I got me a packet of seeds and to grow they'll also need love and water and sunshine and soil.
But most importantly love.
There are even more gardening team V.
I.
P.
S.
In addition to water soil.
Sun and love.
And they are pollinators.
And I've called on my very good friend and founder of the Detroit Butterfly nursery to tell us a bit more about pollinators and why they're so important in the garden.
MomCat Kelly
thank you for being here today.
Thank you so much for having me.
Now could you please tell us what is a pollinator?
So I like to describe pollinators as flower visitors.
So basically they go from one flower to another eating nectar and distributing pollen all around the garden.
They can be anyone from bees to butterflies,
even birds,
beetles and ants,
ants can be pollinators.
Yes they can.
Well mom Cat kelly,
why are they so important to our gardens?
Well we need pollinators first of all because they help our plants flower grow and thrive.
We wouldn't have all those beautiful flowers or yummy veggies if it wasn't for them.
There are also a super important part of the food chain,
butterflies and moths.
That is because their food for birds,
bats and other animals.
Well if they're so important to our gardens,
well,
how can I help attract pollinators to my garden?
Well,
first of all you'll need a sunny spot.
Most insects can't generate heat from their bodies.
They're cold blooded.
So they use the sun to warm up.
They need that warrant to be able to fly.
And most of our pollinator friendly plants,
they need sun as well to grow.
So we want to make sure you have a nice sunny spot.
It doesn't matter if you have a backyard,
a patio or even apartment balcony,
big or small,
you can make a huge,
so once you have that nice sunny spot you need some butterfly food or nectar sources that means blossoms or flowers and butterflies in particular.
They love all different types of colors.
They love orange and red,
yellow,
pink and purple blossoms.
So once you have those nectar sources,
you'll also want to put in a food source for them or host plant.
I call that caterpillar food 90% of insects,
actually our host plant specialist.
So think of them as like picky eaters.
They only eat one specific type of plant and as far as the monarch butterfly,
they only have one specific,
very super important plant that they eat.
It's called milkweed.
There about 11 species that are native to our area in michigan are favorites are swamp milkweed,
common milkweed um showing milkweed,
they have purple and pink blooms.
They're so beautiful.
There is such a great important source of food for our monarch caterpillars.
Thanks for giving us the buzz on pollinators.
Mom cat kelly.
I hope you have an amazing season at the Detroit butterfly nursery.
And thank you for visiting grow town today.
Let's celebrate another one of our very favorite garden pollinators from our album Motown is grow town.
Here's honey bee.
Yeah.
Oh,
honey sweetness from a flowering tree.
Mm hmm.
Hello?
Oh,
honey bee on the panel of a flowering tree flying high in the sky.
I just love the work you do.
Oh,
honey bee,
a flowering tree.
Oh,
would it be Gro-Town is a multimedia endeavor for Children using gardening as our conduit.
We seek to instill a sense of belonging gratitude and wonderment for the world outside our windows and a simple love of growing stuff.
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