Bringing the Buzz Back to Your Backyard

It almost sounds too good to be true, but some of the best plants to attract beneficial insects to your garden are also easy to grow, beautiful, and require minimal maintenance. It’s as if nature really values pollinators or something! The secret? Focus on native plants that flower abundantly.

As the experts at Gardenary put it, “The very best plants you can add to your space to benefit your local bees and butterflies are native plants that flower.” Of course, figuring out what’s native to your area requires a bit of research. But once you’ve got that part down, you’re on your way to creating a low-maintenance pollinator paradise.

A Buzzing Bouquet of Pollinator Picks

I’ll never forget the day I stumbled upon a rock garden absolutely covered in vibrant orange flowers, thriving even in the sweltering 110-degree heat. The gardener handed me a brown paper bag of coreopsis seeds and the rest, as they say, is history. Within a year, our entire street was a riot of color, and the bees were in pure ecstasy.

Coreopsis is just one of the many pollinator-friendly plants that I’ve fallen head over heels for over the years. There’s also anise hyssop with its licorice-mint scented blooms, basil with its pollen-packed flowers, and the showy “fireworks” of bee balm. And let’s not forget about the herbs – dill, cilantro, and lemon balm are all magnets for beneficial insects.

According to the experts at Swansons Nursery, perennials like helenium, yarrow, and agastache are also top picks for creating a pollinator-friendly oasis. The vibrant blooms of these plants offer a veritable feast for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds throughout the growing season.

Diversity is Key for Pollinator Power

Of course, it’s not enough to just toss a few bee-friendly plants into the garden and call it a day. As the team at Gardeners.com advises, true pollinator power comes from incorporating a diverse array of flowering plants. We’re talking annuals, perennials, and even shrubs – all with different bloom times, colors, and shapes to appeal to a wide range of hungry critters.

When I’m designing a pollinator garden for a client at Today’s Gardens, I always make sure to include a lush mix of options. Cosmos and zinnias provide a burst of summer color, while asters and rudbeckia keep the party going well into fall. Throw in some milkweed for the monarchs, sunflowers for the birds, and a few towering stalks of bee balm, and you’ve got a veritable pollinator paradise.

Organic is the Only Way to Bee

Of course, when it comes to creating a healthy, thriving pollinator garden, what you don’t use is just as important as what you do. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, even the “organic” ones, can be incredibly harmful to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

That’s why I always recommend sourcing plants from local, organic growers whenever possible. I’d rather my clients plant just one locally-grown, pesticide-free plant than a hundred covered in toxic sprays. After all, those buzzing, fluttering friends are the whole reason we’re gardening for pollinators in the first place!

And let me tell you, the bees and butterflies can definitely tell the difference. I’ll never forget the year I tried to create an “all-white” pollinator garden, thinking the pale blooms would be extra alluring. Turns out, I ended up with a whole lot of moths and not nearly enough of the good guys. Lesson learned – when it comes to pollinator plants, vibrant is where it’s at.

A Safe Haven for the Good Guys

At the end of the day, adding pollinator-friendly plants to your garden isn’t just good for the bees and butterflies – it’s good for the whole planet. As the team at Gardeners.com points out, even those pesky mosquito-killing insecticides we spray can wreak havoc on beneficial insects.

So by creating a lush, diverse, organic oasis for pollinators right in your own backyard, you’re not just doing a good deed for your local ecosystem – you’re doing a good deed for the world. And hey, you get to enjoy the buzz and flutter of happy, healthy bees and butterflies as an added bonus. Sounds like a win-win to me!

So what are you waiting for? Get out there, get your hands dirty, and start planting your way to pollinator paradise. Your garden, and the rest of the planet, will thank you.