Home and Garden Information Center

06/18/2026

Por Anahí Espíndola El verano está casi aquí, y si es como yo, ya habrá estado afuera y visto un montón de pequeñas abejas cavando, cavando, cavando… y visitando las flores. ¿Quiénes son estas abej…

06/18/2026

Yes!!!🙌

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

June is National Pollinator Month! Think like a pollinator with these tips from the US Forest Service:
- Go Native. Pollinators are “best” adapted to local, native plants, which often need less water than ornamentals
- Bee Bountiful. Plant big patches of each plant species (better foraging efficiency.)
- Bee Sunny. Provide areas with sunny, bare soil that’s dry and well-drained, preferably with south-facing slopes.
- Bee Showy. Flowers should bloom in your garden throughout the growing season. Plant willow, currant, and Oregon grape for spring and aster, rabbit
brush and goldenrod for fall flowers.
- Bee Patient. It takes time for native plants to grow and for pollinators to find
your garden, especially if you live far from wild lands.
View their whole guide for pollinator gardening for the Eastern us: chrome-extensio://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/AttractingPollinatorsEasternUS_V1.pdf
More info including some plant suggestions: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/gardening

Image text:
Title: Planning your garden — think like a pollinator.

Go Native. Pollinators are “best” adapted to local, native plants, which often need less water than ornamentals.
Bee Showy. Flowers should bloom in your garden throughout the growing season. Plant willow, violet, and mayapple for spring and aster, joe-pye w**d, and goldenrod for fall flowers.
Bee Bountiful. Plant big patches of each plant species for better foraging efficiency.
Bee Patient. It takes time for native plants to grow and for pollinators to find your garden, especially if you live far from wild lands.
Bee Gentle. Most bees will avoid stinging and use that behavior only in self-defense. Male bees do not sting.
Bee Chemical Free. Pesticides and herbicides kill pollinators.
Bee Homey. Make small piles of branches to attract butterflies and moths. Provide hollow twigs, rotten logs with wood-boring beetle holes and bunchgrasses and leave stumps, old rodent burrows, and fallen plant material for nesting bees. Leave dead or dying trees for woodpeckers.
Bee Sunny. Provide areas with sunny, bare soil that’s dry and well-drained, preferably with south-facing slopes.
Bee Diverse. Plant a diversity of flowering species with abundant pollen and nectar and specific plants for feeding butterfly and moth caterpillars.
Bee a little messy. Most of our native bee species (70%) nest underground, so avoid using w**d cloth or heavy mulch.
Bee Aware. Observe pollinators when you walk outside in nature. Notice which flowers attract bumble bees or solitary bees, and which attract butterflies.
Bee Friendly. Create pollinator-friendly gardens both at home, at schools and in public parks. Help people learn more about pollinators and native plants.

06/17/2026

🦗 Who's Eating My Plants? Learn Before You Treat

Holes in leaves? Chewed flowers? Damaged vegetables?
Before reaching for a pesticide, take a closer look. The first step in managing any garden pest is proper identification. Different pests leave different clues, and knowing what's causing the damage helps you choose the most effective—and environmentally responsible—solution.

Some insects, such as aphids, leafhoppers, and stink bugs, feed by piercing plant tissues with straw-like mouthparts and sucking out plant sap. This can cause yellowing, curling leaves, stunted growth, or wilting.

Others, like thrips, scrape and puncture plant surfaces before feeding, often leaving flowers and leaves looking silvery or distorted.

Spider mites, which are not insects but close relatives of spiders, pierce individual plant cells and feed on their contents. Their feeding creates tiny yellow or white speckles, giving leaves a stippled or bronzed appearance.

The good news? Not every damaged leaf requires treatment. Correctly identifying the pest—and understanding the extent of the damage—can help you avoid unnecessary pesticide use and protect beneficial insects that may already be helping control the problem.

🔍 Know your pest before you choose a solution. Good identification is the foundation of successful Integrated Pest Management (IPM). https://extension.umd.edu/resource/ipm-prevent-identify-and-manage-plant-problems/

Have you discovered a mystery pest in your garden this season? Share a photo in the comments!

06/17/2026

Did you know that we give presentations at our local libraries? In July we have two one-hour programs at the C. Burr Artz library in downtown Frederick. Mark it on your calendars and join us in the heat of the day to learn about insects and vegetable gardening in the summer!

06/17/2026

06/13/2026

06/12/2026

Did you know that there are 4 seed libraries in our county, so far?! They are located at Frostburg, George's Creek, LaVale and Westernport libraries. Master Gardeners assist by dropping off seeds in smaller packs that are a good size for backyard gardeners. And yes, you can still start seeds in your garden! (beans, beets, cantaloupe, swiss chard, cucumbers, pumpkins, summer and winter squash and watermelon as well!) So, we will be adding more of those varieties this month at the different locations! We love getting to collaborate with Allegany County Library System