Micki
@pollinatorsfirst.bsky.social
Married, two adult children. Avid gardener, passionate about pollinators. Biotech researcher developing vaccines for trees.
I planted extra parsley in the herb garden in hopes that it would attract Black Swallowtail butterflies - it worked! What beautiful babies they make! Happy #LaborDay 🇺🇸 #SaveButterflies 🦋
September 1, 2025 at 10:58 PM
I planted extra parsley in the herb garden in hopes that it would attract Black Swallowtail butterflies - it worked! What beautiful babies they make! Happy #LaborDay 🇺🇸 #SaveButterflies 🦋
It’s my birthday - and I had this lovely Spicebush Swallowtail come visit me in my garden. Couldn’t have asked for a better gift! #Butterflies 🦋 #Pollinators
July 30, 2025 at 2:37 PM
It’s my birthday - and I had this lovely Spicebush Swallowtail come visit me in my garden. Couldn’t have asked for a better gift! #Butterflies 🦋 #Pollinators
One of my favorite times of the year! The Phlox Jeana is blooming and its the Swallowtails favorite nectar source in the garden 💛 Black Eyed Susan’s in the back of the border #Butterflies 🦋 #FlowersOnFriday
July 25, 2025 at 8:51 PM
One of my favorite times of the year! The Phlox Jeana is blooming and its the Swallowtails favorite nectar source in the garden 💛 Black Eyed Susan’s in the back of the border #Butterflies 🦋 #FlowersOnFriday
An increasingly rare sight in America - please, consider not only planting milkweed but flowers with nectar.Impatiens and mophead hydrangeas are beautiful but they have NOTHING to offer pollinators. No nectar, no pollen. When I was a child (I’m 67) butterflies were common. 🦋 @annealiz1.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 1:09 AM
An increasingly rare sight in America - please, consider not only planting milkweed but flowers with nectar.Impatiens and mophead hydrangeas are beautiful but they have NOTHING to offer pollinators. No nectar, no pollen. When I was a child (I’m 67) butterflies were common. 🦋 @annealiz1.bsky.social
Found this lone Monarch caterpillar in my milkweed patch and moved him/her to a mesh butterfly cage for safety. We have few Monarchs in this area, and most of the caterpillars in my garden are taken by predators if I don’t get to them first. Will release after metamorphosis. #Monarch 🦋 #Butterflies
July 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Found this lone Monarch caterpillar in my milkweed patch and moved him/her to a mesh butterfly cage for safety. We have few Monarchs in this area, and most of the caterpillars in my garden are taken by predators if I don’t get to them first. Will release after metamorphosis. #Monarch 🦋 #Butterflies
So much better than pesticides - don’t you think? Ladybug (or ladybird depending on where you’re from) sitting on my tomato cage noshing on a green aphid. 🐞 she kindly left offspring behind for me ❤️ #PollinatorsFirst 🐞 #InsectTuesday
July 16, 2025 at 12:11 AM
So much better than pesticides - don’t you think? Ladybug (or ladybird depending on where you’re from) sitting on my tomato cage noshing on a green aphid. 🐞 she kindly left offspring behind for me ❤️ #PollinatorsFirst 🐞 #InsectTuesday
Baby Bumble Bee alert! See her? (She’s so tiny). Bright raspberry echinacea lighting up the mid-summer garden! #SaveTheBees 🐝 #Gardening 🩷
July 13, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Baby Bumble Bee alert! See her? (She’s so tiny). Bright raspberry echinacea lighting up the mid-summer garden! #SaveTheBees 🐝 #Gardening 🩷
The large and small Rudbeckia borders flanked by the hydrangeas. This is what my garden looks like at its summer peak. #FlowersOnFriday 🌺 #Gardening
July 11, 2025 at 6:23 PM
The large and small Rudbeckia borders flanked by the hydrangeas. This is what my garden looks like at its summer peak. #FlowersOnFriday 🌺 #Gardening
Early morning sun positively makes the roses glow! #RoseWednesday 🌺 #Gardening - stay cool everyone!
July 9, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Early morning sun positively makes the roses glow! #RoseWednesday 🌺 #Gardening - stay cool everyone!
#SquishOnSight is the recommendation for this #InvasiveSpecies - #SpottedLanternfly larvae. Extremely destructive to agriculture and ecosystems. Spotted in Northern Virginia June 13, 2025. #InsectTuesday 😕
June 24, 2025 at 9:17 AM
#SquishOnSight is the recommendation for this #InvasiveSpecies - #SpottedLanternfly larvae. Extremely destructive to agriculture and ecosystems. Spotted in Northern Virginia June 13, 2025. #InsectTuesday 😕
Oleanders, olive trees, and bougainvillea in the quaint small town of Trullia, in the region of Puglia, Italy. So grateful to be here on holiday. #ItalianHoliday #Puglia 🇮🇹
June 24, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Oleanders, olive trees, and bougainvillea in the quaint small town of Trullia, in the region of Puglia, Italy. So grateful to be here on holiday. #ItalianHoliday #Puglia 🇮🇹
Good morning! Betony - Stachys ‘Hummelo’, related to the fuzzy ‘Lambs Ears’ (even tho they look nothing alike). #FlowersOnFriday 🌸
June 20, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Good morning! Betony - Stachys ‘Hummelo’, related to the fuzzy ‘Lambs Ears’ (even tho they look nothing alike). #FlowersOnFriday 🌸
The garden is almost at its summer peak - and the bees are loving it. I plant this annual salvia every summer as it feeds bees, butterflies and humming birds. Multitasking flower for sure! #MyGarden #Pollinators 🐝
June 20, 2025 at 11:33 AM
The garden is almost at its summer peak - and the bees are loving it. I plant this annual salvia every summer as it feeds bees, butterflies and humming birds. Multitasking flower for sure! #MyGarden #Pollinators 🐝
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail breakfasting on the zinnias. Have a great day! #PollinatorWeek #MyGarden 🦋
June 19, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail breakfasting on the zinnias. Have a great day! #PollinatorWeek #MyGarden 🦋
Milkweed with a matching ladybug larvae (or ladybird in the UK) - what could be better? #pollinators #gardening
June 19, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Milkweed with a matching ladybug larvae (or ladybird in the UK) - what could be better? #pollinators #gardening
My first poppy! It is glorious! Seeds kindly shared from a Twitter friend (who also introduced me to Bluesky) A. K. - thank you! Now I can harvest my own seeds! #KindnessMatters 🌺🌺🌺
June 18, 2025 at 2:47 PM
My first poppy! It is glorious! Seeds kindly shared from a Twitter friend (who also introduced me to Bluesky) A. K. - thank you! Now I can harvest my own seeds! #KindnessMatters 🌺🌺🌺
When someone describes a color as “Cornflower Blue” this is what they are referring to. Centaurea cyanus, also known as Bachelor’s Button or Cornflower, is an annual in the Asteracea family. #Flowers 🦋
June 13, 2025 at 5:41 PM
When someone describes a color as “Cornflower Blue” this is what they are referring to. Centaurea cyanus, also known as Bachelor’s Button or Cornflower, is an annual in the Asteracea family. #Flowers 🦋
I love the sunset colors on this rose and how it contrasts with the burgundy foliage! This rose season in the mid-Atlantic region is spectacular! Many more rose photos to come! #Roses 🌺
June 11, 2025 at 3:52 PM
I love the sunset colors on this rose and how it contrasts with the burgundy foliage! This rose season in the mid-Atlantic region is spectacular! Many more rose photos to come! #Roses 🌺
Happy World Bee Day 🐝 please consider organic gardening to help our little friends out 🌺🌺🌺
May 20, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Happy World Bee Day 🐝 please consider organic gardening to help our little friends out 🌺🌺🌺
North American Purple Flame Flag Iris bringing some color to my early spring garden. Foliage comes in dark purple and changes to green as the season progresses. Beautiful purple flowers are a bonus! #GrowNative
April 3, 2025 at 1:07 PM
North American Purple Flame Flag Iris bringing some color to my early spring garden. Foliage comes in dark purple and changes to green as the season progresses. Beautiful purple flowers are a bonus! #GrowNative
Morning light on the Hyacinth - such an energizing time of year 💜
March 27, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Morning light on the Hyacinth - such an energizing time of year 💜
Heeeer we go - successfully migrated from X to Bluesky. First sign of spring in the garden. Ahhhhhhh 🌼🌼🌼
March 22, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Heeeer we go - successfully migrated from X to Bluesky. First sign of spring in the garden. Ahhhhhhh 🌼🌼🌼