Happy Pollinator Week to gardeners everywhere!

When you’re in the garden this week, be sure to thank a bee. That’s what Pollinator Week is all about.

The third week in June is designated as National Pollinator Week and there are celebrations planned from coast to coast to raise awareness of the valuable contribution provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and beetles.

Pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food that we eat.

In the U.S. bees alone undertake the astounding task of pollinating over $15 billion in added crop value, particularly for specialty crops such as almonds and other nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables.

In northern Colorado, the Colorado State Beekeepers Association, Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association, Boulder County Beekeepers Association and BBB Seed Company are partnering with 16 nurseries, garden centers, and stores for a special event on Saturday, June 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

BBB Seed is a big supporter of Colorado’s Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign.

BBB Seed is a a small, family-owned company with a big heart.

For the last two years, BBB Seed has donated thousands of vegetable and herb seeds to metro Denver’s Plant a Row for the Hungry gardening campaign.

But the company has much more to offer gardeners than its complete line of heirloom vegetable seeds.

In addition to Aunt Ruby’s German green tomatoes, Orange Sun and Sweet Chocolate peppers, and Black Beauty eggplant, BBB seed carries a line of native wildflower seed, cool and warm season grasses, and grass and wildflower mixes.

One special mix gardeners will be interested in this year is the Honey Source Wildflower mix.

The Honey Source combination of seeds was specially created as help for honey bees. It contains a long-blooming mix of nectar and pollen-rich annuals and perennials that attract bees to the garden and that are beautiful, too.