How To Make A Pollinator Garden

A (Not So) Secret Garden Shutterstock And make sure your flowers bring all the butterflies and the bees to the yard. by Samantha Darby March 2, 2023

Penpak Ngamsathain/Moment/Getty Images Not only are they beautiful, but pollinator gardens are incredibly important. By supplying pollen and nectar to pollinators, you can help them survive and thrive and continue pollinating crops in your area for food.

The number one tip for a successful pollinator garden is to use native plants . There are tons of sources to find out what will thrive in your yard, and using native plants will provide nectar and shelter to native butterflies, bees, and birds. Shutterstock

Stefanus Yoga / 500px/500Px Plus/Getty Images While some plants and flowers do well in shade, remember that butterflies and bees love the sun, so try to make sure a large part of your pollinator garden is in full sun or partial sun. The best pollinator plants will love it and thrive.

If you planted pollinator seeds in the fall, you’re probably already seeing some of your hard work pay off. But if you have small pollinator plants to put in the ground now, be sure to wait until all frost chances are gone. Richard Peng / 500px/500px/Getty Images

borchee/E+/Getty Images Butterflies are wonderful pollinators, and attracting them to your garden can be done with lots of flowers in red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple blossoms .

If you don’t feel like tilling up soil or don’t have the land needed to plant, don’t worry! You can make a great pollinator garden with raised beds or containers, even on a deck or porch. Tatiana Maksimova/Moment/Getty Images

TorriPhoto/Moment/Getty Images Mulch and other weed barriers aren’t always great for a pollinator garden, but you can create a natural weed barrier by planting plants close together in varying heights/sizes to make a lush, overflowing area for the birds and bees.

Butterflies and other pollinators rely on water, so consider a water source in your garden if there’s not a stream or natural water nearby. You can use a birdbath or a shallow dish, just place some rocks for them to land on. (And change often to avoid mosquitos.) TorriPhoto/Moment/Getty Images

Galery Rendy / 500px/500Px Plus/Getty Images Milkweeds are the host plant for monarch butterflies, so be sure to plant some in your garden to act as shelter and a habitat for your beautiful pollinators.

Hummingbirds are also great pollinators, and while they’ll love the nectar in your native plants, consider hanging a hummingbird feeder for an extra treat. You can make your own sugar water at home , and then you’ll get lots of sweet visitors. Shutterstock

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