The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of July 30 to August 6, 2020

Gardening

Support Native Bees and Enjoy the Many Benefits

Bees on swamp milkweed
Plant a variety of bee attracting flowers like swamp milkweed, a North American native plant.
Photo credit: photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com


Pollinators are responsible for about 75% of the food we eat. The European honeybee is the most well known but our native bees are also critically important.

We can help our native bees and gardens by reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides and providing shelter as well as food and water.

About 70% of our native bees are ground nesting. Reduce the risk of conflicts with ground nesting bees. Create an inviting habitat away from prime gardening areas. Leave warm south facing spaces open for bees to establish their in-ground nests.

Wood and cavity nesting bees, like the leaf cutter bee, make up about 30% of our native bee population. Others nest in hollow plant stems so leave these, their homes, stand for winter.

Bumblebees nest in abandoned animal burrows, tree cavities, grassy areas, or under fallen leaves. A colony usually contains a few hundred bees. All members of the colony die in fall except the fertilized queens. The queens look for new homes the following spring.

Support our native bees by planting a variety of bee attracting flowers. The plants provide food and shelter and help attract the native bees to your landscape and bee houses.

Include plants with different colors and shaped flowers. Grow lots of purple, blue, white, and yellow flowers that are favored by bees. Plant flowers in mass. You will enjoy the display, the garden will require less maintenance, and you will get the attention of the bees you are trying to attract. Plus, bees use less energy when they can gather lots of food from a smaller area.

Make sure you have something in bloom throughout the growing season. Spring bulbs, wildflowers and perennials provide essential food that is often in limited supply early in the season. Fall flowering plants provide needed energy supplies as the bees and other pollinators prepare for winter.

Bigger flowers are not always better. Double flowers may be showy, but they have less nectar and pollen. The multiple layers of petals hinder access to what nectar and pollen they contain.

Grow some herbs in the garden and containers for you and the bees. Let some go to flower and watch for visiting bees on thyme, borage, oregano, and other herb flowers.

Grow native plants whenever possible. They are a richer source of nectar and pollen than cultivated plants. Native bees and other beneficial insects have evolved with these plants, providing a mutual benefit.

Leave leaf litter in place and healthy perennials including grasses stand for winter. These provide homes for some bees and other beneficial insects. Wait as long as possible in spring so you don’t interrupt their hibernation.

Increase living quarters by making your own native mason bee houses. Just be sure you provide a properly designed, clean home with needed winter protection. Do your homework first to make sure you are not harming the native bees you are trying to support.

The easiest method uses a bundle of hollow sticks such as bamboo, reeds, or sumac. Cut them into short segments and remove three to five inches of pith with wire or a drill. Consider painting the front to make an inviting entrance for the bees. Bundle the stems together with wire or place in a bucket or can.

Or create a solitary bee house from a block of untreated wood. Drill holes into, but not through a block of untreated wood. The holes should be three to five inches deep and about 5/16 of an inch in diameter for mason bees. Nesting tubes inserted into the holes makes for easier cleaning and storage that prevents debris and disease from building up one season to the next.

Mount the bee house on the southeast side of a post, fence or building. Make sure to provide a nearby mud puddle the bees will use to seal off the individual development chambers in the holes.

Creating a bee friendly landscape not only increases your garden’s productivity but also the number of songbirds and beneficial insects that visit your garden. That means fewer garden pests and a more beautiful garden for you to enjoy all season long.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

Antiques

Maxfield Parrish Prints

Maxfield Parrish Tranquility


Antique oil paintings by listed artists can sell for thousands or even millions of dollars. A 2011 Ezine article said a listed artist “means that an artist has attained a certain level of recognition in the art world.” Auction results for listed artists can be found in “Davenport’s Art Reference and Price Guide” and in art databases on the web. On the other hand, prints by listed artists can be produced by the thousands and don’t bring as much as paintings. Some can still sell for hundreds or thousands though.

Maxfield Parrish is an artist whose prints appeal to many current collectors. He was born Frederick Maxfield Parrish on July 25, 1870 in Philadelphia, PA. Britannica’s biography describes him as an “American illustrator and painter who was perhaps the most popular commercial artist in the United States in the first half of the 20th century.” After attending Haverford College, Parrish studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Drexel Institute of Art.

The National Museum of American Illustration in Newport, RI’s website notes that Maxfield Parrish used a shade of blue similar to the color of Lapis lazuli in many of his works. They state, “his signature use of this color was so powerful that a certain cobalt blue became known as ‘Parrish Blue.’” They consider Parrish “the most successful and best-known American illustrator of the early part of the twentieth century.” Parrish’s art was incorporated into magazine ads, calendars, and posters, along with lithographed prints that were produced to be framed and displayed. In 1925, twenty five percent of American households had a Maxfield Parrish print on their walls. According to the National Museum of American Illustration, Victor Vasarely, Andy Warhol and Norman Rockwell were influenced by Parrish. Rockwell even said that Parrish was his idol.

With so many Parrish prints printed throughout his career, collectors can find some that are quite affordable. A Maxfield Parrish “Daybreak” print sold for $60 at a Pennsylvania auction house in June. His “Circes Palace” print was sold at a New Hampshire auction for $50.

Some Parrish prints are harder to find though and can bring much higher prices. An 1896 poster depicting three golfers for Harper’s Weekly magazine sold for $1,600 in 2016. A 1934 Mazda Edison 1934 calendar with a Maxfield Parrish “Moonlight” print and a 1922 calendar with an “Egypt” print each brought $1,600 in 2013. A Ferry’s Seed advertising print with Parrish’s depiction of “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary” went for $2,000 in 2013. Larger advertising pieces can bring significantly more. A GE Edison Mazda store display sold for $5,000 earlier this year. A rare Fisk Tires poster faired even better, selling for $5,500 in 2012. When Parrish’s original paintings turn up at auction, prices can go through the roof. His “Autumn Woods” panel on wood went for $300,000 in 2016. “The Knave” oil on board sold for $600,000 in 2017. An oil on canvas of “Jason and His Teacher” brought $850,000 in 2015. After selling that “Parrish blue” painting, the consignor could have painted the town red.

We will be auctioning the largest collection of Maxfield Parrish prints that we have ever handled in our upcoming Warren, RI online estate auction. We are also planning other sales during the summer and fall. Please keep checking www.centralmassauctions.com for updates.

Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique Auctions, Estate Sales and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com