We welcome all kinds of pollinators in our gardens. Butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, wasps, flies, hoverflies, mosquitoes, ants, beetles and even bats all play important roles in pollinating our flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs. Of all those kinds of pollinators, bees—especially native bees–are the most efficient and have the greatest impact when it comes to increasing the harvest of fruits and vegetables from our gardens. Without them, many flowering plants won’t set seed or fruit, and without flowers, there’s no food for the bees. It’s a catch-22. Did you know that sweat bees are especially good at pollinating strawberries or that it takes just 2-3 mason bees to pollinate an entire fruit tree?
Bee on broccoli
So, how can you make pollinators happy to “bee” in your garden?
#1 – Provide a succession of blooms in every season
Would you go to a restaurant that had run out of food? Of course you wouldn’t! Without a consistent supply of food for pollinators in your garden, they’ll go elsewhere. Make sure there is always something they enjoy the nectar or pollen from in bloom. The greater variety of flowers you provide, the greater the variety of pollinators you’ll attract.
SPRING
- Sweet alyssum
- African daisy
- False indigo
- Bleeding heart
- Perennial salvia
- Tiarella
- Ninebark
- Elderberry
- Viburnum
- Weigela
SUMMER
FALL
- Dahlias
- Japanese Anemone
- Aster
- Cimicifuga
- Gaillardia
- Hibiscus
- Rudbeckia
- Sedum
- Butterfly bush
- Bluebeard
There’s much more to view. Click the link below to continue reading.
Article by Susan Martin for Garden Crossings©
5 Ways to Help Pollinators Love Your Garden – Garden Crossings