Designing a Pollinator Garden
First, we need to get the puns out of the way.
Have you heard the buzz about pollinator gardens?
Bee sure to include these pollinator-friendly plants in your yard!
Hive been meaning to post about pollinators for a while now.
Declining bee and butterfly populations have been in the news a lot lately. Factors such as climate change, loss of habitat, and pesticide use have contributed to these shrinking numbers.
"Who cares?" you think to yourself, "Bees sting. I hate them."
According to Cornell up to 90% of flowering plants and 1,200 agricultural crops rely entirely on pollinators. So if you like food or flowers, you have a horse in this race.
The good news? We can provide food and shelter for our winged friends by incorporating pollinator-friendly plants into our landscaping.
If you have an interest in this topic I strongly recommend you read Doug Tallamay's Bringing Nature Home. Or anything by Doug Tallamay for that matter. He offers practical, easy-to-follow advice on changes you can make to encourage biodiversity in your yard. My kind of guy!
"How do I get started?"
I recommend following these General Guidelines provided by the Cornell Cooperative Extension. In a nutshell: be sure to pick an area that gets 6+ hours of sun, plant in groups of two or three, and try to select native varieties.
"What plants should I use?"
These are plants I frequently use in designs. They are easy to find at local nurseries, and the enterprising individual could start many of these from seed.
Perennials
wild bergamot (bee balm) penstemon digitalis agastache liatris
butterfly weed swamp milkweed Joe Pye weed rudbeckia echinacea phlox coreopsis potentilla salvia (perennial varieties) aster poppy lupine delphinium
Annuals
cornflower cosmos dill borage sweet alyssum zinnia snapdragon marigold salvia (annual varieties)
Grasses
bluestem (big and little) switch grass
Groundcovers
ajuga creeping phlox vinca minor (periwinkle) creeping thyme
Shrubs
azalea rhododendron rose American holly buttonbush blue mist shrub spirea rose of Sharon Note: While butterfly bush does attract a lot of butterflies (duh), I do not recommend using as it's considered an invasive species.
Trees
white oak (check out another phenomenal book by Doug Tallamay, The Nature of Oaks) dogwood serviceberry
"But I don't recognize those plant names and I'm far too busy to learn how to take care of them."
More good news! Many pollinator-friendly plants are native to our area and well-adapted to our climate. This means they require less water, less fertilizer, and are less likely to take over your beds. In most cases you can "plant and forget".
"Ok fine, do all of these need to be planted together to work?"
Nope. You can intersperse plants from this list throughout your existing beds. Just keep in mind the mature size and light requirements of the plant when choosing a spot.
"Remember how busy I am? Could you go ahead and do a few hypothetical layouts so I don't have to figure it out on my own?"
That's why I'm here.
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Patio or deck beds
Garden Details
plants- bee balm, delphinium, sedum, potentilla, New England aster, agastache, cosmos, and phlox
light- full to part sun
garden style- cottage
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Front beds
Garden Details
plants: azalea, coreopsis, aster, little bluestem, salvia, sedum, rose, zinnia light- full to part sun garden style- traditional/residential
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"My Neighbor Just Got an RV and I Can't Stand Looking At It" bed
(option 1)
Garden Details
plants: rose of Sharon, baptisia, liatris, rudbeckia, cardinal flower, winterberry holly, hardy geranium, oxeye sunflower light: full to part sun garden style: cottage
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"My Neighbor Just Got an RV and I Can't Stand Looking At It" bed
(option 2)
Garden Details
plants: white oak light: full to part sun garden style: obstructive
