It's National Pollinators Week, the perfect time to celebrate our little pollinator friends! Our favorite pollinator is obviously the bee, but did you know that moths, flies, butterflies, beetles, and even hummingbirds also help pollinate our plants? Want to know the best way to help our pollinator friends? Plant a pollinator-friendly garden! We've got some helpful tips for you below, and some helpful resources to get your started!
Plant nectar and pollen-rich flowers in your garden
It's best to choose a wide range of shapes, colors, and sizes of flowers. Also try and plan so that your flowers bloom at different times. Aim to fill your garden with local plants for the best results. They are best suited to the climate needs of your area and your local pollinators. Exactly what plants you choose will depend on where you live, but we have a couple of incredible resources for those of you trying to create a water-wise pollinator garden in Utah, where we live.- Red Butte Garden. Their gardens are incredible, and they often host pollinator parties to help educate about our local pollinators. They also have this wonderful gardening info page to help you get your garden going.
- Conservation Garden Park. This is a GREAT choice to help build your garden from local, water-wise plants. They offer classes and other in-person opportunities, and their website is an incredible resource for help with plants, landscaping, and more.
Avoid pesticides when possible
Having a wide variety of healthy, native plants in your garden helps avoid pest problems in the first place. But, if you have to use pesticide, use one that targets the specific pest you're going after and remember to avoid applying the pesticide directly to the soil or to open blooms.
Let the ground be bare
Did you know that a number of pollinators live in the ground? This even includes some bee species. To help them out, leave the ground bare instead of adding mulch or large filler material, and make sure the area is well-drained.
Once your blooms have finished, let them stay over winter
Once spring comes around, you'll want to trim the stems but don't trim them all the way to the ground. Leaving a foot or two of stems will provide the perfect spot for some pollinators to lay eggs and make homes.
Want more resources for building your pollinator garden?
Check out these amazing pages from the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the US Forest Service!
Happy Gardening!!
