Invite Pollinators Into Your Yard

Next week is Pollinator Week. To celebrate, invite pollinators into your landscape. It's good for them, and it's good for your garden. 

What do pollinators do for us?
Scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat are made possible by pollinators. 

Pollinators are more than just bees - they come in all shapes and sizes: bees, butterflies, birds, bats, beetles, moths, flies and more. Many native pollinators find their food in specific native plants. Consider adding some native plants to your landscape to support the local pollinator population. 

Pollinators have different plant taste
Choose a variety of plants to welcome more than just monarchs. Plants to consider:

• Penstemon and salvia for hummingbirds
• Echinacea (coneflower) for birds and butterflies
• Chokecherry for ants, bees and flies
• Sunflowers for bees

Just as you should choose the right plant for each pollinator, you should also choose plants that are appropriate for the conditions in your landscape. Talk with a landscape professional to choose the right pollinator-friendly plants for your outdoor space.

Offer pollinators a refreshing drink
Provide a shallow puddle for butterflies. Butterflies get nutrients from mud or rotting plant matter. Just a tiny spot will do, though you'll need to replenish water as it evaporates. You can use a small saucer and add sand, a bit of compost and water.Don't create large standing water in your landscape. Large areas of standing water invite mosquitoes.

Create a bee watering station by filling a saucer or pie plate with rocks or marbles and add water. Don't entirely over the rocks with water; bees will perch on the rocks and got to the water's edge for a drink.