In the Garden: How to create, plant and maintain a pollinator garden

Celebrate National Pollinator Month this June by creating and maintaining a garden that attracts and supports these important members of our ecosystem. Pollinators are responsible for about 75% of the food we eat and play an important role in producing food, fiber, medicine and more. The European honeybee is the most well-known but our native bees along with moths, wasps, beetles, flies, bats, and some birds also help pollinate our gardens.

Just like the honeybees and Monarch butterflies, many pollinators are struggling with their populations dwindling due to pesticides and loss of habitat. You can make a difference by creating pollinator gardens filled with their favorite plants.

Start helping all pollinators and the environment by reducing, or better yet eliminating, the use of pesticides. If you opt for a chemical solution, look for the most eco-friendly product and as always read and follow label directions to minimize the negative impact on the environment and pollinators.

As you create your pollinators’ paradise, include shelter from predators and the weather. Include trees and shrubs, if space allows, providing you with year-round interest and nectar, pollen, and tasty leaves as well as nesting sites and safe havens for the various life stages. Leave patches of open soil for ground nesting bees and some leaf litter to shelter some butterflies, bumblebees, and other pollinating insects.

Plant a variety of native plants, herbs and other pollinator favorites that provide nectar and pollen throughout the season. Spring bulbs, early blooming wildflowers and perennials provide essential food that is often in limited supply early in the season. Fall flowering plants provide needed energy supplies as the bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators prepare for winter.

Include plants with different colors and shaped flowers to attract and support a variety of pollinators. Plant flowers in mass. You will enjoy the display, the garden will require less maintenance, and the pollinators will use less energy when they can gather lots of food from a smaller area.

Plant masses of flowers like columbine, sweet alyssum, annual and perennial salvia, cupheas, cosmos, phlox, zinnias, bee balm, liatris, sedum, asters and more to help attract these beauties to your landscape. Fuchsias, begonias and impatiens are perfect for shady locations. And don’t let a lack of space dissuade you; even a window box of flowers can help.

Bigger flowers are not always better. Double flowers may be showy, but they have less nectar and pollen. The multiple layers of petals may hinder access to the nectar and pollen they contain.

Grow some herbs in the garden and containers for you, the bees, and other beneficial insects. Let some go to flower and watch for visitors on thyme, borage, oregano, and other herb flowers. Tolerate a bit of damage on parsley, dill and fennel as the swallowtail caterpillars dine on the leaves. These vigorous plants will recover once the caterpillars transform into beautiful butterflies.

Add some native plants to your gardens whenever possible. They are a richer source of nectar and pollen than cultivated plants. Pollinators and other beneficial insects have evolved with these plants, providing a mutual benefit.

Puddles, fountains, birdbaths and even a damp sponge can provide needed water. Include water features with sloping sides or add a few stones for the visitors to sip without getting wet. Sink a shallow container of sand in the ground. Keep it damp and add a pinch of sea salt for the butterflies and bees. Add a flat stone for warming and be sure to watch for and snap a few photos of visitors as they sip and sun in your garden.

If you create it, they will come. Be patient, make note of their favorites, and keep growing to attract, support and enjoy these important garden visitors.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine, and her website is MelindaMyers.com, which features gardening videos, free webinars, monthly gardening tips, and more.