Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever wondered what life would be like without pollinators? Without them, the diversity of fruits, vegetables and flowering plants would decline dramatically. Imagine fewer flowers along sidewalks and trails, fewer home gardens in full bloom, and produce sections at the grocery store looking a little less familiar than they do today.

When you create a pollinator-friendly garden you are helping your own garden as well as the global ecosystem.

Here are some easy steps to make your garden more vibrant and sustainable – and friendly to bees, beetles, flies, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds and bats:

Step 1: Go Natural

Ween your garden off chemicals and pesticides. In addition to the cost, these chemicals can kill more than you bargained for or, even worse, lead to resistance through overuse. Ditch ‘em. We want an inviting environment for critters. 

Try some of these strategies:

• Use compost and mulch for soil health to attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings and hoverflies.
• Use natural sprays like a simple soap spray, garlic-mint repellent, hot pepper spray or vegetable oil spray.
• Get rid of pests by hand. Pull weeds and manually remove caterpillars, beetles and hornworms.
   

Step 2: Plant Strategically

Feature diverse, native plants. Plant in clusters that grow continuously throughout the seasons. Here are some suggestions, by season:

Spring

• Rocky Mountain columbine (Aquilegia caerulea)
• Golden currant (Ribes aureum)
• Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)
• Desert beardtongue (Penstemon pseudospectabilis)

Summer

• Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata)
• Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata)
• Blue mist penstemon (Penstemon virens)
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
• Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
  
  Fall
• Rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)
• Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
• Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliana)
   

Step 3: Focus on Habitat

If you want pollinators to be guests in your garden, be a good host. Leave some bare ground patches for ground-nesting bees. Leave a pile of twigs or small branches for beetles. And a bee hotel or a bat box can be a fun DIY project that will give your garden some personality. Visit the Birds and Bees Walk to see some in person.

Additionally, think about water supply: shallow water bird baths for hummingbirds and puddlers for butterflies. Check out the Shop at the Gardens to see what’s in stock—no admission is necessary to visit the gift shop.

Even small changes in a home landscape can help sustain biodiversity.
 

Celebrate pollinators with us at Big Day of Bugs, Friday, June 26! Fun activities are planned from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. and included with admission.