How to create a garden that supports pollinators

 

June is Pollinator Month in Colorado, a time to bring focus on the importance of supporting pollinators in our gardens and landscapes and a time to discover best practices for creating a beneficial insect friendly garden. This includes planting and maintaining a variety of perennials, annuals and flowering shrubs, as well as providing water, shelter and nesting sites. 

It’s important to realize that in addition to honeybees, bumblebees, native bees, butterflies, moths, flies and more also fill a role as pollinators in our landscapes and gardens. To attract the greatest diversity of pollinators, we need to supply a source of food and water and shelter.    

Food for the pollinator community means nectar and pollen. The ideal plants and shrubs will produce flowers with high nectar and pollen content. Flowers with good sources of nectar and pollen include Asters, Black-eyed Susan, Columbine, Coneflower, Digitalis, Gaillardia, Joe Pye Weed, Mums, Penstemon, Sage and Sedum.  Pollinator-friendly shrubs in your garden should include Blue Mist Spirea, Lilac and Butterfly Bushes.    

Beyond perennials and shrubs, think about incorporating annuals, bulbs and herbs into your pollinator garden. 

Because of their ability to dislodge pollen by grasping a flower in their jaws and vibrating their wing muscles, bumble bees are important pollinators of crops such as tomatoes and peppers.  Plant the herb comfrey near your tomato and pepper plants to improve the fruit set.    

The herbs borage, mint and lavender will attract pollinators to your garden, as well. Blooming cover crops such as Crimson Clover will attract bees and can be worked into your garden to improve the soil once it stops flowering.   

To better attract and support pollinators, plant in clusters, with a variety of colors. This will bring a focus to your garden and landscape and save the pollinator’s energy searching for food.    

Gardening with pollinators in mind should include a source of water. A shallow pot saucer filled with pebbles will do fine. Keep the water refreshed so the pollinators know they can return to the same spot every day.  Garden fountains and birdbaths will provide needed water, if you place some flat stones in the birdbath so pollinators will have a place to land and drink safely.    

For non-hive dwelling native bees, consider leaving a patch of the garden uncultivated for native bees that burrow. For wood and stem-nesting bees, place a nesting block near the garden fence or on a bench.    

In the fall, plant spring blooming bulbs such as crocus, hyacinths and tulips to support early foraging pollinators.  

  

If you do not have a traditional garden space where you can plant directly in the ground, plant in containers and place them on your patio or deck. Select a few different kinds of plants of varying heights, colors and textures. Pollinators will find them. 

 

Even a small pollinator garden will help support bees, butterflies and other pollinators. With some thought and planning, you can create a destination that pollinators will be attracted to.