Tips for Installing and Caring for a Pollinator Garden

09.02.2024 - 10:34 / finegardening.com

Choosing a palette of plants that will sustain pollinators throughout the growing season is a great start. However, the way you plant and care for your selections can provide additional advantages for the pollinators you’re seeking to attract. Here are some ways to make the lower layers of your garden even more beneficial.

Layering wildlife-friendly plants adds ecological value, seasonal beauty, and charm to any space, large or small. Incorporating a strategic array of ground covers is a great way to maximize the wildlife benefits your garden offers.

The extra petals in double flowers usually arise from tissue that would have been nectaries or reproductive structures in the straight species, so these show-offs offer very little in the way of pollen or nectar. Most double flowers are also sterile and produce no seeds.

Grouping pollinator-friendly plants together will help your winged friends find and gather food more efficiently. Whether you are planting multiples of a single species or a variety of different cultivars, try putting them together in one area rather than scattering them throughout the garden.

Most native bees build their nests in the ground and depend on undisturbed ­spaces to make their homes. Ground covers can protect areas of your garden from disturbance, creating valuable habitat options for bees.

Chemicals that kill harmful insects also kill the beneficial creatures you are trying to attract. But if you draw a diverse community of insects to your pesticide-free garden, the helpful ones will assist with controlling
the pests.

Many native pollinators have small home ranges. Not only do they need food and shelter, but they also need water. A small water feature, even just a bowl of clean water placed in