Planting For Pollinators

June 17th through the 24th is National Pollinator Week, a time to bring focus on the importance of supporting pollinators. Creating a pollinator friendly garden should include a variety of flower types, shapes and sizes. Every garden needs pollinators and you’ll attract more bees, butterflies and other pollinators to your garden if you keep these things in mind. Bees are looking for two things when they visit your garden: food and water.  Food for bees means nectar and pollen. The ideal plants for bees will produce flowers with high nectar and pollen content. Nectar feeds the adult bee and pollen is harvested to feed their young. Bees have good color vision and are attracted to plants with blue, purple, violet, white and yellow flowers.  

Flowers with good sources of nectar and pollen include Asters, Black-eyed Susan, Columbine, Coneflower, Digitalis, Gaillardia, Joe-pie 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. Zinnias are bee magnets. Plant a nice bed of zinnias and the bees will come. Chives are another plant which bees love. Include herbs such as borage, comfrey, mint and lavender in your pollinator garden. Cover crops such as Crimson Clover attract bees and can be worked into your garden to improve the soil once it stops flowering. 

This fall, plant some crocus and tulip bulbs. They’ll flower in the spring and provide an early source of nectar for bees. Another way to increase pollinator traffic is to plant in clumps. This will bring a focus to your landscape and save pollinator’s energy searching for food.  

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

Consider leaving a patch of the garden uncultivated for native bees that burrow. For wood and stem-nesting bees, hang a nesting block. With some thought and planning, you can create a destination for bees and other pollinators.