Bee-Friendly Gardening: The Purpose of Pollinator Gardens
June is National Pollinator Month. I love this time of year because it brings awareness to the important role that bees, butterflies, birds, and beyond play in growing sustainable ecosystems. As a professional gardener, there are many ways I’ve found to both celebrate and positively impact the environment that these beneficials live in. Let’s dig into the benefits of bee-friendly gardening and how you can build your own pollinator garden.
Why Grow a Native Pollinator Garden
1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat exists because of pollinators. Bee-friendly gardening helps you play a bigger role in the health of pollinators and the planet – flourishing habitats are a direct result of supporting these beneficial insects. Whether you have a balcony garden, a community plot, or your own backyard, you can attract pollinators through small changes that preserve and protect their populations.
One of those changes is to grow a garden specifically to support native pollinators like the honeybee. A few ways to do this is by planting native (and non-native) flowering plants and providing safe nesting spaces.
Bee-friendly gardens thrive when you grow a diversity of plants. The more diverse your plants are, the more resilient they are to environmental changes. When you do this, you attract honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other pollinators. Once you start to incorporate bee-friendly plants and build your garden intentionally to attract these pollinators, other beneficial insects show up too. Because when you garden for one, you garden for all.
Build a Bee-Friendly Garden to Attract the Beneficials
Now that you know the role and importance of pollinators, let’s dig into a handful of ways to build a pollinator garden that supports a healthy environment for the bees, the beneficials, and us.
1. Strive to have a succession of blooms throughout the year
Are there certain months where nothing in your garden is flowering? Take note and visit your local garden center to see what pollinator-friendly plants are in bloom so you can add them to your collection.
Or send me an email! I’m always happy to help you with plant ideas that suit your garden layout and goals.
Pro tip: Broadcast native wildflower seeds in the fall as the rains begin.
2. Plant a plethora of flower shapes and colors
I encourage you to grow something for every single insect that will visit your garden. Grow plants:
That have clusters of tiny flowers for the tiny pollinators
With open-disk flowers that look like a sunflower for short-tonged bees and flies
That have tubular flowers for long-tonged bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
With single petaled flowers for easy access to the pollen and nectar
3. Provide safe nesting and shelter for non-honeybee friends
Bare, undisturbed patches of soil are havens for ground nesting bees (which account for 70% of our native bee species). Leave plant stems intact after the blooming season to provide a home for the cavity or stem nesting bees. Leaf litter and stacked branches from pruning provide overwintering shelter for many other beneficial insects.
4. Don’t forget water
It gets hot and dry in California. Since bees use water to cool down their hives, provide a safe water source for them to hydrate. A shallow saucer with stones prevents pollinators from drowning. Refresh the water daily to stop mosquitoes from breeding.
5. Go pesticide-free
Pesticides, even eco-friendly ones, are designed to kill. Unfortunately, they also negatively impact honeybees and other pollinators. Pesticides are invisible and can drift to the pollen and nectar parts of the flower. Then when a bee forages, it gathers the pollen and nectar contaminated with the pesticide that impairs the health of their brood.
Instead of using a pesticide, try to squish, wipe, or hose off the pest in question. This is much more satisfying if you ask me!
Small actions add up. Creating a bee garden and building it with pollinators in mind supports essential populations that sustain ecosystems. It also improves the aesthetic of your outdoor space with colorful, living habitats. It’s as simple as starting with a few native plants, providing water and shelter, and keeping your garden free of pesticides. Your local bees and butterflies will thank you!
Ways We Can Grow Together
When you build a honeybee or butterfly garden, you can’t help but garden for the other beneficials. Even pests like aphids contribute to a healthy, balanced ecosystem. Everything is connected.
Sustainable, pollinator-friendly gardening is a topic in many of the educational presentations I give to garden clubs, business groups, organizations, and agencies. Book me for your next in-person or virtual event!