Hmm. Now that I think about it, the nightshade is at my window, while
I only see the rhodies when I'm getting in and out of the car. Could be
an observational bias on my part. Mine are certainly not manicured or
sprayed. I'll have to watch them more closely next year. Do other
people find that rhodies are attractive to wildlife?

Kelly Cassidy -- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Box 357980, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
kelly at u.washington.edu --- 206-685-4195 --- 206-368-8076

On Mon, 23 Jun 1997, Jane Stewart wrote:

> It may be that they are just very visible to me, at my kitchen window,
> in my neighbor's yard. But, the bumblebees bees love her Rhodes. And
> as unlikely as it may seem, I have seen hummingbirds there, more than
> once. And, the bushtits and chickadees use them for cover all the time.
> Of course, her's are not manicured nor sprayed.
>
> In the field, sometime,
>
> Jane
>
> Jane Stewart
> Research Center
> Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC
> 206.447.2811 t
> 206.447 9700 f
> stewj at foster.com
>
> >----------
> >From: Kelly Cassidy[SMTP:kelly at salmo.cqs.washington.edu]
> >Sent: Saturday, June 21, 1997 4:12PM
> >To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> >Subject: Re: Butchart Gardens
> >
> >(Jerry notices lack of insects and birds at Butchart Gardens; postulates
> >generous pesticide use as the reason.)
> >
> >I've don't doubt that pesticide use is a factor, but there are others.
> >Tidy, manicured gardens don't provide much cover or housing material for
> >birds or insects. No tangled brush, no rotting sticks, logs, or snags,
> >etc. In addition, horticultural flowers are selected for their visual
> >appeal to people, not their ability to attract or support pollinators.
> >Many have lost their odor, lack a "landing pad" for bees, lack the visual
> >cues that point to the center of the flower, or even have petals that
> >cover the nectaries and pollen. I marvel at how the small, inconspicuous
> >purple flowers of the weedy nightshade outside my window are a bee magnet,
> >while the gaudy rhodies seem to attract nothing.
> >
> >
> >Kelly Cassidy -- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
> >Box 357980, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
> >kelly at u.washington.edu --- 206-685-4195 --- 206-368-8076
> >
> >
>