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How to Attract Pollinators To Your Garden

If you spend much time on Pinterest or gardening groups on Facebook, you’ll see that it’s become very “trendy” to plant a pollinator garden. I really dislike trends. The reason being that attracting butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators to your gardens should not be a trend, because trends come and go. Home gardeners have been planting pollinator friendly gardens for generations and now all the sudden it’s the cool thing to do. I will get off of my soapbox now! Although there’s a little more to it than to simply plant flowers, let’s have some fun and learn how to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects to your garden.

I realize there are many mitigating factors as to why our pollinator populations are down, but this is not the place to discuss that problem. One of our goals at Gingham Gardens is to encourage home gardeners to do their best in their little corner of the world.

Hummingbird Drinking From Lucifer Crocosmia

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Does A Garden Need To Be Organic To Attract Pollinators 

Before we get to the fun part, let’s just get this out of the way. If you want to attract pollinators and keep them healthy, do not use pesticides in your gardens.

If you feel that you have to use pesticides at least go with organic. Just know that organic pesticides are not discriminant about what they are killing, so proceed with caution. And some of the home remedies that are touted as being organic are not organic in the least. I use a mixture of Dawn soap and water to kill boxelder bugs. Does it work, yes. Does it harm pollinators, no. Is it organic, probably not. 

Bee on Victoria Blue Salvia in How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

A Healthy Garden for Pollinators

So to answer the question, does a garden need to be organic to attract pollinators, I don’t really know. I believe in order to keep pollinators healthy, it’s best not to use pesticides. How about we just all do the best we can and leave it at that. We cover pest remedies in another post, but for now here are just a few practical ways I do my best to stay away from pesticides:

  • I know it’s just flat out creepy, but be willing to hand pick jerk pests like Japanese beetles and other beetles. Simply take a bucket of hot, soapy water and a long-handled spoon out to the garden and use the spoon to knock the nasty perverts into the bucket of soapy water. Do this in the morning and not in the afternoon. Trust me, you’ll only try it in the afternoon once and after you get dive bombed by Japanese beetles, you’ll remember morning is best. If you don’t have to contend with Japanese beetles, just count your blessings.
  • Be okay with other bugs that have a short life span. For instance, four-lined plant bug is such a nuisance in my gardens in the spring. They don’t damage flowers, but they suck the sap out of leaves and the leaves end up with tiny brown spots covering them. I choose to ignore the little brats because they don’t really harm the plant. Once they’ve moved on for the season, I just give the plant a little haircut.

Swallowtail butterfly on magenta-colored bee balm in How to Attract Pollinators to your Garden

 

Why Do We Want Pollinators in Our Gardens

Well, because we need them. I’m not going to give a big ole science lesson, because science was my worst subject, and sex education wasn’t far behind. Just kidding… sort of. But the long and short of it is, if we want certain crops and flowering plants they need to be pollinated and we need the pollinators to do it. Make sense? Thanks, I knew it would.

Bottom line, we need bees and other pollinators doing their thing in our vegetable garden and to pollinate fruit trees.

And, really, who doesn’t want bees, butterflies and hummingbirds in your gardens. I realize bees have the potential to sting humans, but they really don’t want to. I can stand in the middle of one of my gardens with bees buzzing all around and never get stung. My son always says I’m one with nature. Bees buzzing, butterflies fluttering about and little hummers flitting by just add an element of happiness and serenity to gardens.

Swallowtail Butterfly on Coneflower - How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

Simple Tips to Attract Bees, Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Garden

The best way to attract pollinators to your gardens is to plant a variety of flowers that are rich in pollen and nectar. Be sure to include a succession of blooms from early spring until late fall, the entire growing season.

Cute Stuff For Pollinators

 

What Are Native Plants and Why Do We Need Them To Attract Pollinators?

Nothing wrong with hybridized flowers, but because of the hybridization process, nectar and pollen are generally reduced in flowers that have been hybridized, so they aren’t quite as tasty and beneficial as native plants.

Pro Tip: Native flowering plants are the best food source for pollinators.

What exactly are native plants? According to Wikipedia – “Native plants are plants indigenous to a given area in geologic time. This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area.” If you’re interested in learning the science behind native plants just click the Wikipedia link.

Pollinators on New England Aster
Monarch Butterfly, Painted Lady Butterfly and Bees on New England Aster

I would encourage you to do a few google searches for native species in your area. Remember, native species include both native animals, insects and plants. What are considered native plants in some regions can be invasive species in other areas. You can check with your state’s Department of Natural Resources or your local cooperative extension.

Just do a little research on your own before you go plant shopping and ask for “native” plants. Not all, but some native plants are very aggressive and will take over your gardens. Here’s another great post to help you understand more about Native Plants.

Monarch Butterfly on Meadow Blazingstar - How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

The Best Flowers to Grow to Attract Pollinators

When I started researching and looking through pictures, I ended up with a list of over 50 flowers, both annuals and perennials, covering spring through fall, that will attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. That’s too many to list here, so I made up a printable that you can find in the Gardening Resources Library that includes a list of those flowers according to what season they bloom and which pollinator they attract. Many of the flowers on the list are native plants. Fill out the form below to gain access to all our Free Gardening Printables, including the list of over 50 Flowers Pollinators Love.

Below are just some of the flowers that made the list.

Perennial Flowers That Butterflies Love:

  • Butterfly Bush – can be invasive in some areas. Look for varieties that don’t set seed.
  • Purple Coneflower – a North America native plant (stick with the native, single flowers variety and not the hybrids)
  • Butterfly Weed
  • Liatris – Meadow Blazingstar (pictured above) is a monarch butterfly magnet.
  • Swamp Milkweed – host plant for monarch caterpillars. Be careful, it can be very aggressive and pop up all over your garden.
  • Don’t forget herbs – Parsley & Fennel are host plants for swallowtails.

Bee on Coneflower in How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

Flowers Bees Love:

  • Bee Balm attracts bees of all kinds; honey bees, mason bees, native bees, etc.
  • Catmint
  • Sedum
  • Lavender
  • Salvia – hummers also love the red varieties
  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Baptisia – a late spring bloomer that bumble bees adore.

Swallowtail butterfly on zinnia

Flowers Hummingbirds Love:

  • Columbine
  • Crocosmia (Lucifer)
  • Cardinal Flower
  • Penstemon
  • Daylilies

 

What About Habitats For The Pollinators

Another great way to attract pollinators is to not have a pristine garden. I think bee houses are another trend, but honestly, this little bee house is so stinkin’ cute and I’m going to get one. Other that buying a house for your bees, here’s what you can do for bees and other pollinators to provide a welcoming place where they can hunker down and call home:

  • Add mulch to your gardens (you’re probably doing this anyway).
  • Leave some hollow stalks from garden plants up. For instance, once daylilies (or other plants that have hollow stems) are done blooming, leave some of the stalks for a natural bee habitat.
  • Don’t be so quick to clean up brush piles, the bees like them.
  • Pollinators also like to nest in shrubs, tall grasses and low-growing plants.
  • Native insects and pollinators like dead wood from dead trees. Fallen rotten tree branches actually can look very natural in a garden and provide a space for pollinators.
Bees on allium flowers.
Bees and soldier beetles on Allium

During dry summer months, if there are no puddles around your yard, be sure to provide a water source for pollinators. I love this little butterfly feeding station and I’m going to use it for a little watering hole for the pollinators. This puddling stone for pollinators is cute too. Keep the water shallow for your little buggers so they don’t drown.

Swallowtail Butterfly on Trailing Verbena

How to Plant A Garden to Attract Pollinators

I would just encourage you not to even try to attract pollinators if it’s just a fad or trend you think would be fun to try. Gardening takes time and work. It isn’t just a one time plant some flowers type of fun weekend project. I don’t want you to end up with an eyesore patch of weeds that you regret planting.

Okay, so if I haven’t talked you out of it and you still want to create a pollinator paradise, here are more articles that will help you figure out how to go about it:

Flower Gardening 101
Creating and Caring For A Low Maintenance Flower Garden
14 Plants You Don’t Want In Your Garden

We’ve covered the most popular pollinators – bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, but there are other pollinators too. Other native pollinators include:

  • hummingbird moths and other types of moths
  • some types of bats (yikes)
  • soldier beetles
  • hover flies

Monarch butterfly on strawflower.

Are you a Beginner Gardener?

If this is your first gardening experience, start with a small area. With a little effort, you can create a valuable habitat for pollinators and get to enjoy beautiful flowers. It’s a win-win situation!

Thanks a bunch for stopping by and taking time out of your day to read How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden. If you’re a seasoned gardener that already enjoys pollinators in your gardens, what are your (or the pollinators’) favorite flower(s)? Are you a newbie gardener that would like to attract some pollinators to your yard? If so, leave a comment and let me know if I inspired you and if you have any questions. I love hearing from my readers!

Happy Gardening,

Joanna

p.s. Go ahead and feel free to “pin” these pictures. If you hover in the upper left-hand corner of the picture, you’ll see the little Pinterest icon. Just click it and pin away. There are also pins to share at the bottom of the page. Thanks a bunch!

p.p.s I’d love to have you follow me on Pinterest. Lots of great gardening ideas and tons of gardener’s eye candy.

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Image of a butterfly on a flower with text overlay - The Best Flowers and tips for attracting butterflies and other pollinators to your garden

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