How to Build a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
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? One of the best ways to help pollinators is to plant a pollinator-friendly garden. Here are a few helpful tips, along with resources to help you get started.
Plant Nectar- and Pollen-Rich Flowers
Choose a wide range of flower shapes, colors, and sizes. It also helps to plan for blooms at different times throughout the season. Native plants are often the best choice because they are well suited to your local climate and the pollinators in your area.
The exact plants you choose will depend on where you live, but here are two excellent resources for anyone building a water-wise pollinator garden in Utah:
- Red Butte Garden. Their gardens are incredible, and they often host pollinator events to help educate the public about local pollinators. They also have a helpful gardening information page to help you get started.
- Conservation Garden Park. This is a great resource for building a garden with local, water-wise plants. They offer classes and other in-person opportunities, and their website includes helpful information on plants, landscaping, and more.
Avoid Pesticides When Possible
Having a wide variety of healthy, native plants in your garden can help reduce pest problems in the first place. If you do need to use a pesticide, choose one that targets the specific pest you are trying to control. Avoid applying pesticide directly to the soil or to open blooms.
Leave Some Bare Ground
Many pollinators live in the ground, including some bee species. To support them, leave some areas of bare, well-drained soil instead of covering everything with mulch or large filler material.
Leave Spent Blooms and Stems Through Winter
After your flowers finish blooming, let them stay in place through the winter. When spring arrives, trim the stems back, but do not cut them all the way to the ground. Leaving a foot or two of stem can provide nesting spots for pollinators.
More Pollinator Garden Resources
Looking for more help building your pollinator garden? Check out these helpful resources from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.
Happy gardening!