Everyone loves flowers, so why not choose some that pollinators, such as butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and moths will enjoy? Choosing nature-friendly plants helps to support local pollinator populations, which in turn, help to keep our gardens, farms, and fruit trees productive all throughout the community. Some good planting choices include:
For more ideas of plants that you can incorporate into your landscape for pollinators, visit New England Wildflower's pollinator list of plants.
No one likes worrying about getting rid of the weeds in their lawn. So what's the alternative? Leave them there! Many 'weeds' are actually important sources of food for pollinator species and can provide excellent habitat for them. Dandelions, for example, are one of the most hated lawn weeds, but they are actually an important food source for honeybees who are coming out of the long, cold winter in search of food. In fact, having a good supply of dandelions nearby can make the difference between a hive that survives or fails in early spring.
Instead of wasting time worrying about how to get rid of the 'weeds' in your yard this spring, learn to see them as a 'pollinator restaurant' , and that should make it much easier to see them blooming in the grass.
Every year insects damage all kinds of plants, from beautiful roses to cucumber vines. Nothing is more frustrating than watching your carefully tended plants and flowers be chewed apart by invading marauders intent of eating your garden. It's only natural that you would want to find a quick way to stop the invaders in their tracks.
Unfortunately, when we try to eliminate garden pests with chemical sprays and insecticides, those chemicals generally kill insects of all kinds- the good and the bad. While this may make your roses perk up once the beetles are gone, your veggie garden may suffer if the pollinators are also gone. But before you reach for the spray bottle, check out some organic and low-impact ideas for getting rid of garden pests, without harming the pollinators, too. Check out this article from eartheasy.com for ideas on preventing and removing garden pests.
Consider leaving an area of your yard unmowed and unraked all year- even if it is just a strip of grass around the back edge of your yard (or your whole backyard, if you're feeling adventurous and really want to eliminate mowing!). Having a little bit of tall grass and some fallen leaves will not impact the look of your property, and it will provide valuable habitat for many different beneficial insects. By making a 'habitat oasis' in your yard, you will be giving many native pollinators places to find shelter, food, and also to lay their eggs. Better yet, by allowing the grasses and leaves to combine back into the soil naturally, you will be building soil fertility,too!
Much of the landscaping, raking, mowing, spreading, and spraying that we do each year is done more out of habit than need. Take a few minutes this spring to think about any changes you can make in your outdoor spring cleaning routine that will not only make your chore list easier, but will be a big help to pollinators in your community!
Want more information on planting for pollinators in your yard? Join us for our Planting for Pollinators Workshop at Sheep Pasture on Saturday, March 25th. For more info and to register, click here to visit the workshop page!