Take a 1953 Buick Super—my grandfather drove one—coil a gasoline station pump hose under the hood, glue a patch of Velcro on the trunk door, and attach a set of cellophane wings to the top—the kind you see in 19th century English books on faeries, not the feathered ones you see on angels or, more recently, on lingerie models.  What you have is a modern sculptor’s approximation of a deluxe, eight-cylinder, 120 horsepower, Dynaflow bumblebee.

We have been planting native species of wildflowers along the access roads in our orchard.  These are tough, drought-resistant plants that add to the beauty of morning and sunset walks, but their purpose is more than decorative. Native species attract native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other creatures that pollinate our trees.

We are planting milkweed plants in our orchard. One form or another of this weed used to grow almost everywhere in North America, but herbicides have just about wiped it out – and along with it much of the Monarch butterfly population.