National Pollinators Month in June encourages the planting of pollinator gardens of native, non-invasive pollen and nectar-producing plants. When these gardens bloom, they attract bees, birds, bats, and other natural pollinators.
Gardening for pollinators ~
Our pollinators—the creatures that move pollen from flower to flower—are in trouble.
If you like to eat, pollination should be important to you. About 85 percent of all flowering plants need pollinators to produce seeds and fruit.
Many insects, and some birds and bats, serve as pollinators. Bees carry the heaviest burden by far. Honeybees get the majority of the press, and their plight has been well publicized. But many of the more than 4,000 species of bees native to North America—including the blueberry bee and the squash bee, both specifically adapted to pollinate their namesake crops—are also in peril due to loss of habitat and improper pesticide use.
All is not lost, and the solutions lie in your garden. Three simple ways you can help pollinators are: 1) grow lots of flowering plants; 2) provide and protect pollinator nesting sites; and 3) minimize pesticide use.
Bees and other pollinators need the sugars and proteins from nectar and pollen in flowers. They rely on these nutrients to grow and reproduce.
Keep blooms in your landscape during all but the coldest months with a variety of flowering plants—annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. Native plants are particularly well suited to native pollinators.
Include larval host plants in your landscape.
If you want colorful butterflies, grow plants for their caterpillars. They WILL eat them, so place them where unsightly leaf damage can be tolerated. Accept that some host plants are less than ornamental if not outright weeds.
Group pollinator plants together for greatest effect. Intersperse flowers and herbs throughout your vegetable garden. (companion gardening) Leafy greens, such as mustard, lettuce and arugula, and cool-season crops like broccoli and radishes produce flowers in early spring, when other flowers may not be available.