Bee City USA – Springtime Plantings
In 2019 Tualatin joined other communities to become a Bee City USA affiliate. Bees transfer pollen between flowers, enabling plants to flower and fruit. Pollinators are keystone species in essentially every ecosystem on Earth, enabling the reproduction of over 85 percent of all flowering plants and 67 percent of agricultural crops. In addition to the honeybee, there are more than 20,000 species of bees globally, and around 3,600 species of bees native to the United States. With springtime here you can help sustain bees in our city by planting some of the following plants that attract bees and other pollinators:
Bee Balm has frilly flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden. Also known as Oswego Tea, this plant’s dark green leaves have a wonderful orange-mint scent when crushed. The flowers can be red, purple, white, lavender, or pink, and the plant does best in full sun to part shade with well-drained soil.
Joe Pye Weed, a favorite of butterflies, has vanilla-scented leaves and big domes of small, nectar-rich flowers in pink, purple, or white. It blooms in late summer and fall, can grow up to 8’ tall and is even deer-resistant. It prefers full sun and evenly moist, well-drained soil.
Hardy Fuchsia is a good plant to attract hummingbirds. It has long, tubular flowers that hummingbirds love. Most varieties bloom from late spring to frost — sometimes with multicolored flowers. Grow these in part sun to light shade depending on the variety. Be sure to keep the soil regularly moist, and feed them in early spring.
Volunteer Appreciation
The City of Tualatin had over 500 volunteers donate approximately 8,400 hours to the City of Tualatin despite the challenges COVID-19 brought us in 2020. Volunteers filled over 25 different positions, including:
- Supporting the Tualatin Public Library’s Take-n-Make program, volunteering to read aloud to friends and family members through the Tween Reader program, and helping the library prepare for its new Makerspace by processing withdrawn items for donation.
- Planting trees, shrubs and pollinator-friendly plants through the Put Down Roots in Tualatin program, as individuals, and as part of school and corporate groups.
- Through do-it-yourself opportunities, including litter pick up, park clean up, and invasive plant species removal.
- Hugging-a-Park — volunteering at a park or trail to complete trail building, install mulch, or landscape maintenance.
- In the Juanita Pohl Center with special projects like wellness checks and holiday card/wintertime character letter writing.
- During the summer through our TEAM Tualatin and Summer Teen Library programs.
- Serving on boards, commissions, and foundations.
On behalf of the City Council, City staff, and the entire Tualatin community, I thank each and every one of our volunteers for your contributions.
State of the City
The State of the City will be virtual this year. It will be held on May 12 from 6 – 7 p.m. It will include all six city councilors and the Mayor, plus special guests. See and hear what was accomplished in 2020 and participate in the question-and-answer session after the video. Go to www.tualatinoregon.gov/citycouncil/state-city for more details of the event.
Frank Bubenik
fbubenik@tualatin.gov
(971) 420-7443
