
Fredericton man 'gives back to nature' with bee and butterfly oasis in his yard
CBC
Rhett Wyntjes has a thing for the birds and the bees.
The Fredericton resident has barely touched his push lawn mower since moving into his south side home four years ago. It's so he can protect wildlife and have a safe space for butterflies, ground bees and other insects.
"Once you get over the fear of, 'What are the neighbours going to think?' you're fine," said Wyntjes, standing in front of what he calls collection of plants.
"It could become the joke of the neighbourhood."
Dwarf juniper was the first plant he ever planted — and his outdoor hobby grew from there.
He collects everything from pumpkins, creeping thyme, tulips, magnolia, rose bushes, lupine to lilies, black-eyed Susans, poppy plants and white pine trees — his favourite.
There are also 40 evergreen that run along his property line, creating a whole other area for the wild bees to live in. There's also mint in the backyard, which Wynjtjes claims could supply the entire city of Fredericton.