Bees, Blooms & Buzz: A Little Labor Day Love for Our Hardest Workers
Labor Day is a celebration of hard work—and some of the hardest workers in our landscapes have wings.
This Labor Day, we're giving a little appreciation to the bees that keep our gardens growing, while looking at a few simple ways we can make our yards more welcoming to the tiny workers that help our landscapes thrive.
The Hardest Workers in the Yard
There are workers who start before sunrise. There are workers who spend their days outside in the heat, workers who carry, dig, haul, build, plant, repair, drive and create. And then there are the workers who have been buzzing around our gardens all summer, collecting pollen and nectar and pollinating the plants that make our landscapes—and so much of our food—possible.
Washington is home to around 600 species of bees, and most of our native bees are solitary. That means the female bee builds her own nest, gathers pollen for her offspring, and gets the whole job done without the help of a colony of worker bees. Most of Washington's native bees nest in the ground, while others use stems, small holes, or other sheltered spaces.
That's a lot of responsibility for something smaller than your fingernail.
And in late summer, when the days are hot and dry and some of the spring blooms have long since disappeared, the landscape around us becomes especially important. What we leave growing, what we plant, what we spray, and even what we leave alone can make a difference to the tiny workers still out there doing their jobs.
So this Labor Day, let's talk about how to make the yard a little more welcoming for
the hardest workers of all.
Keep the Flowers Coming
One of the simplest ways to help bees is also one of the prettiest: keep something blooming.
Pollinators need access to pollen and nectar throughout the growing season, not just during the big spring flush when everything seems to explode into bloom at once. Late-summer flowers can help fill that gap and give bees somewhere to keep working as the season winds down.
Coneflowers, bee balm, salvia, black-eyed Susans and zinnias are all great choices for adding late-season color while providing food for pollinators.
And don't be too quick to remove every clover or dandelion that sneaks into the lawn, either. Not every plant has to be there because you put it there. Sometimes a flower that arrived on its own is still doing a useful job.
Give the Workers a Water Cooler
Imagine spending your entire workday flying around in the August heat and discovering that every water cooler in town is six inches deep with nowhere to land.
Not ideal.
Bees need water, too, and a simple shallow water station can give them a safe place to drink. You don't need a pond or an elaborate water feature. A shallow dish or birdbath with stones or pebbles rising above the water gives bees places to land while they drink. Keeping the water fresh and changing it regularly helps keep the little watering hole clean.
And this is where we get to sneak a little landscape rock into the conversation without even trying. A handful of landscape pebbles can become a landing pad, proving that even a little stone can do more than look good.
Let a Little Wild Stay Wild
Most native bees in Washington nest in the ground, so a small, sunny area of bare or lightly vegetated soil can provide valuable habitat. If you notice tiny holes, you may have found a bee neighborhood—not an enemy headquarters.
Fallen leaves, old stems, dead wood, and natural debris can provide shelter and nesting habitat. Consider leaving one small, intentional corner a little less tidy. You can still have a beautiful landscape—just give nature a room of its own.
Make Your Yard Work Harder
A good landscape can do more than one job. Plants can provide beauty and food for pollinators, soil can support healthy growth and hold moisture, and rock can create pathways, manage drainage, define spaces, and add texture. Even the little things can pull double duty—a birdbath can provide water, bare soil can offer nesting space, and a handful of pebbles can give a thirsty bee a safe place to land.
You don't necessarily need more things in your yard. Sometimes you just need to think about what the things you already have can do. That's where good landscaping comes in: it's not just about making a yard look beautiful. It's about making it work—for you, your plants, and the little workers who call it home.
Build a Yard That Works for Everyone
The best landscapes work for the people who live in them and the pollinators that visit them. You don't need to rebuild your entire yard for the bees. Sometimes you just need to make a little room.
And if you've got a landscape project you've been putting off, Labor Day is a great excuse to get moving. Sundance Rockery's Labor Day Sale includes 10% off Bark & Soil and 10% off select decorative rock, including Rainbow, Black Beach, Alaska White, and Mountain Rose.
Here's to the people who work with their hands, the bees who work with their wings, and the landscapes that give all of us somewhere to grow.
Work hard. Make something beautiful. Leave a little room for the bees. 👣
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