How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden With Native Plants

Making a lively garden that brings in pollinators is a satisfying project. Pollinators like bees butterflies and hummingbirds are really important for helping plants reproduce. They assist in making fruits seeds and support the growth of new plants. Using native plants is a great way to attract important animals to your garden. You can create a nice and useful area that attracts pollinators by using local plants in a smart way.

Learning about the advantages of using native plants

Native plants fit well with the climate and soil in your area and they work nicely with the local animals so they are a great option for helping out pollinators. They need less care and use less water and fertilizer while providing good nutrition for local pollinators. Using native plants can keep the ecosystem in check and help local wildlife thrive.

Find out which plants are native to your area.

First you should figure out which plants grow naturally in your region. You can find useful information from places like local botanical gardens cooperative extensions or websites that have databases. Try to find plants that flower at different times during the season so that pollinators have food available all the time. Take a look at these topics you could explore:

Wildflowers that grow naturally in the area

Creating a space that attracts pollinators

Plan your garden so that it attracts various types of pollinators. Bees seem to really like colors like blue purple and yellow. Putting in flowers that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes attracts different kinds of pollinators. You might want to group plants that are alike so pollinators can find them more easily. This makes it easier for them to move from one flower to the next.

Try picking a variety of plants.

Having different kinds of native plants in your garden helps attract more types of pollinators. Combine some flowering plants that come back each year with those that only last a season and add in a few types of grasses. Here are a few instances:

Local plants that come back year after year: Think about plants such as coneflowers Echinacea bee balm Monarda and black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia.
Shrubs that produce flowers: Plants such as elderberry and buttonbush offer nectar and a place for animals to hide.
Local grasses: Plants such as switchgrass provide great places for animals to live.

Make a place that is good for the environment.

Make sure your garden is good for the environment in addition to picking the right plants. Try not to use chemical pesticides and herbicides because they can be bad for pollinators. Try to create a balanced environment by bringing in natural pest fighters and using organic gardening methods. Setting out a shallow dish with some stones or a birdbath can help bring in pollinators since it gives them a spot to drink and clean themselves.

Promote the characteristics of natural habitats.

Besides flowers, think about including things that help various pollinators thrive. One way to support ground-nesting bees is to leave some small areas of bare soil. Add some dead branches or piles of brush to create spots where helpful insects can hide. Things like this turn your garden into a friendly spot not only for bees and butterflies but also for different kinds of animals.

Always learning and adjusting

Gardening is a constant journey where you keep figuring things out and adjusting as you go. Notice the plants that grow well and attract the most pollinators. Write down what you see in your garden and change your plan if you need to make it look better and help the local wildlife.

When you add native plants to your garden you make it look great and help support the environment around you. Enjoy your time in the garden!