Pollination Celebration!
From August 28 to August 31, enjoy the beauty of the flower and vegetable gardens and learn about the importance of bees, butterflies, moths through programs onsite at Billings Farm. Explore the Sunflower House in full bloom and see the pollinators in action. How many different pollinators can you find?
From August 31 to September 4, visit Billings Farm at Home online at billingsfarm.org to learn how to make a simple bee bath for your garden. Find out how Billings Farm became a certified “bee-friendly” farm, and download pollinator information and activities on our website.
Date
Pollinator Activities
The Pollinator Garden is dedicated to growing produce that assists Vermont’s star pollinators, including butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Some plants are more pollinator-friendly than others, like oregano, lavender, and broccoli. Other onsite gardens include a Pizza Garden, with red pepper, basil, garlic, and more, as well as a Victory Garden that mirrors the historic gardens of World War II, and an Heirloom Garden.
Honey products from local beekeepers will be available for purchase in the gift ship. Guests can learn about recipes for foods and drinks inspired by the pollinator friendly plants. Honey ice cream is available at the Dairy Bar, made with milk from the cows on property and fresh honey from the local Kelly Way Gardens.
Activities for the weekend include a Sunflower Hunt on “What’s Blooming” where guests will receive a guide to identifying the different flowers. Story book pages line the fences of the pasture where children can read about pollinators while they walk around the property. Children can also learn to craft a wool butterfly. A new interpretive display will teach guests how to help native bees and grow their own bee-friendly gardens. The Master Gardener, Ben Pauly, will be speaking about the Sunflower House and how to make a bee-friendly garden on Saturday (timing to be determined). On Sunday, guests can “Meet a Beekeeper” with Troy Hall of Hall Apiaries, and learn more about how to raise bees.
