How to Start a Pollinator Garden
- Erin and Out
- Jun 11, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 26
Table of Contents
A beautiful garden is a team effort. From the earthworms tunneling underground to the sun shining in the sky, natural forces converge to produce plants of all sizes, shapes, and colors.
However, when it comes to this team, some players are more valuable than others; pollinators are the gardening MVPs.
What is a pollinator?
A pollinator is an animal that helps plants produce fruit and seeds. When a pollinator visits a flower looking for nectar, they pick up pollen from the male part of the flower (the anther) and combine it with the female part of another flower (the stigma). Many people think of the honey bee when it comes to pollinators- but butterflies, bats, birds, moths, and small mammals can all aid in pollination.
A pollinator garden supports pollinators by growing plants that they favor. When we help our pollinators, we help ourselves too; we need them to grow most of our food, after all!
Step One: Choose Native Plants
A native plant is one that naturally grows in a particular environment. These plants are the foundation for healthy ecosystems; without them, the insects that have co-evolved over the last 100 million years wouldn't survive, and neither would the birds that eat them.
The easiest way to figure out which plants are native to your area is to use a database. Just type in your email and zip code, and you'll be sent a list of native plants that you can grow in your own yard.
Step Two: Consider Which Pollinators
When it comes to a pollinator's garden, you can't ever have too much variety! Growing plants of different colors, shapes, and flowering seasons will attract as many pollinators as possible throughout the year. Below are a few examples of plants and the pollinators that seek them.
Remember to make sure a plant is native to your area before you plant it!
Step Three: Add an invertebrate hotel
An invertebrate hotel is an easy way to provide a habitat for hard-working pollinators. This can be as simple as keeping a few patches of tall grass, leaf piles, or fallen logs outside your home. Alternatively, you can purchase a premade invertebrate hotel online and add it to your yard. Easy!
Step four: Maintain a source of water
On a hot day, even a bee needs a way to cool off! Keeping a small dish of water is a great way to turn your garden into a pollinator safe-haven. My mom, who has always been the creative one in the family, filled a flower pot with water and then added a mini fountain to it. Her pollinator garden now has a fresh source of water all summer long!
Step Five: Ditch the Chemicals
Finally, keep a chemical-free garden. Pesticides can leach into neighboring rivers and streams and kill the very critters you're trying to help. The risks aren't limited to your backyard either; gardening with chemicals may also be detrimental to your health. Drugwatch, an organization that educates consumers about potentially harmful chemicals and drugs, shared some studies illustrating these damaging effects. The reports revealed that Glyphosate, the active ingredient in popular herbicides like Roundup, may have serious short-term and long-term consequences. Trading your health to kill a few weeds isn't worth it!
Rather than chemicals, look into natural remedies that will have as little of an effect as possible on non-pest species. You and your backyard will be happy you did!
Happy Gardening!
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