Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Flower Garden

Why Pollinators Matter

Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators are essential for healthy ecosystems and food production. By creating a pollinator-friendly garden, you're not just enjoying beautiful flowers—you're supporting vital wildlife.

Key Principles for Pollinator Gardens

• Plant in masses: Groups of the same plant are easier for pollinators to find
• Choose diverse bloom times: Provide flowers from early spring through fall
• Include native plants: Local pollinators evolved with native flowers
• Provide varied flower shapes: Different pollinators prefer different flower types

Flowers for Bees

Bees are attracted to blue, purple, and yellow flowers:

• Lavender—both flowers and foliage are fragrant
• Salvia—long bloom season, many species available
• Borage—easy annual with cucumber-flavored leaves
• Sunflowers—provide both nectar and seeds
• Asters—crucial fall food source

Flowers for Butterflies

Butterflies need both nectar plants and host plants for caterpillars:

• Butterfly bush—though consider native alternatives
• Coneflowers—easy care and long-blooming
• Milkweed—essential for monarch butterflies
• Lantana—tropical colors and heat tolerance
• Verbena—low-growing and floriferous

Creating Habitat

Beyond flowers, pollinators need:

• Shallow water sources with landing spots
• Sheltered areas from wind and predators
• Bare soil patches for ground-nesting bees
• Brush piles or bee houses for nesting sites

What to Avoid

To create a truly pollinator-friendly space:

• Minimize or eliminate broad-spectrum treatments
• Choose single flowers over heavily doubled varieties (doubles often lack accessible nectar)
• Avoid removing all "weeds"—dandelions and clover are valuable early food sources