Pollinator garden, backyard wildlife habitat, native plant landscaping, pollinator friendly yard, wildlife garden, and pollinator conservation garden. You have probably heard, at least, one of these terms at some point. As you can probably tell by the terms used in each title, this type of garden is more natural and very Eco-friendly. You might ask, aren’t all gardens Eco-friendly? Let’s look at that. Eco-friendly is short for ecologically friendly. The definition of Eco-friendly is simply; not damaging to the natural environment. Do you think it is damaging or harmless to add pesticides to the garden?
The Pacific Northwest Extension Publication article, “How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides” explains that, in fact, it is damaging to the beneficial insects (such as bees) in the garden. Incidents of “bee poisoning,” due to contact with toxic pesticides are becoming more and more of a problem. Many species of bees are nearing extinction from such poisoning. We can eliminate this problem totally by banning the use of these chemicals. However, many have tried and failed to take on big chem. That is why it is up to the consumers to take matters into our own hands. This means refusing to use pesticides in our gardens.
Instead, you can opt to enlist natural practices like growing native varieties and encouraging populations of “predator bugs.” These hardworking insects are hungry for the pesky problem bugs
that damage our plants. We have had a problem with masses of large grasshoppers devouring our plants. Grasshoppers are a good food source for birds, but they are big consumers and do not help
pollinate. Having a few around is fine but too many, all at once, will do a lot of damage (as many have found).
We weren’t willing to use insecticides and risk hurting our precious pollinators, so I did a little research. This was when I discovered predator bugs. You can actually mail order insects, in their
larval stage, and hatch them yourself.
Excitedly, we ordered some praying mantis and followed the instructions to hatch them. On hatching day, we found about 25 tiny praying mantis crawling around their nursery box. They were the cutest little things! Who knew something so little and cute would grow up to be a ravenous hunter of those pesky grasshoppers. Nevertheless, the grasshopper population has decreased to a tolerable size and balance has been restored to the garden.
Another way to keep nuisance bugs from taking over the garden is to attract song birds. Plant shrubby bushes and small trees that attract them to your garden. Song birds need a safe area for nesting, a place to roost at night, and of course a source of food. They will snack on berries when in season and many of the annoying insects that damage our gardens.
Probably the best way to prevent nuisance bugs in your garden is to keep your plants healthy! Many invasive insects will be attracted to plants that are unhealthy for one reason or another. Put simply, a weakened plant is an easy target.
How do you keep your plants healthy? Provide them with optimal moisture for their specific needs. I love the hugelkultur garden design for this one. Mound gardens hold moisture but allow for enough drainage to discourage soggy roots. They also have a built in composting system. You will also want to amend the soil from time to time, with compost or worm castings, if your garden is not a mound garden.
As a last resort, if you must use pesticides, such as for a fire ant hill, there are a few things to keep in mind. Pollinators poisonings are most prevalent when insecticides are applied during blooming of flowers. This is a
time when pollinators, like bees, are most actively foraging. Insecticide-contaminated pollen or nectar makes for a toxic cocktail.
Plants treated with systemic herbicides are also rather dangerous. Systemic herbicides are those that are absorbed and dispersed throughout all plant tissue. Any part of the plant that insects come in contact with hosts the poisons.
Many of us have been primed to believe that the only way to deal with garden pests involves use of toxic chemicals. Instead, pollinator gardens seek to bring about a state of balance in the garden.
With some simple study, you can learn the basic techniques to facilitate that balance and protect yourself, your family, and all of your valuable pollinator friends in the garden.
Who are our pollinators?
There are various animals that fall into the group of pollinators. You may be familiar with some of the more well-known; bees and butterflies. There are many more animals that help to perform this
vital service for us. We’ll talk about why this service is vital in the next section, but first, let’s meet our pollinator friends:
Solitary Bees
Live independent of other bees and have furry bodies that capture pollen grains and transfer them to other plants. The female makes her own nest. Most of these species are non-aggressive.
Bumble Bees
These have rounded, fuzzy bodies and shuddering wings to loosen pollen; called buzz pollination. They help pollinate crops and flowers in higher altitude climates because they can fly in cool temperatures.
Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)
These large winged beauties can be found pollinating our plants in every Ecosystem on earth: from the seaside, to the mountains, deserts, forests, and everywhere in between. They flutter between blooms carrying pollen grains with them.
Wasps
These little hunters are carnivorous creatures that keep bad insect populations at bay. They are beneficial to the natural garden for this reason. As for pollinating, the majority are hairless and transfer only a small amount of pollen grains. They are still good to have in the garden as predator bugs.
Flies
These small, winged insects provide a good food source for migratory birds. They have a reputation for carrying disease but many species do not. They contribute to pollination of specific crops; like apples, peppers, and mangoes.
Beetles
These insects have an interesting feature that differs from the others. Have you noticed that beetles have a hard shell? This is actually a pair of fore-wings that act as a protective covering for the actual flight wings that are quite delicate. Beetles are an important contributor to pollination. Certain crops, such as: pawpaw, sunflowers, cabbage, magnolia, and carrots, are frequently pollinated by beetles. Beetles also serve as a predator bug for certain pests, such as aphids.
What Is a Pollinator Garden?
A pollinator garden is a carefully planned plot having plants that attract and support our pollinators. The plants in the garden offer food and shelter to these animals. In return, they transfer pollen between plants; which fertilizes and creates more abundance in our gardens. Pollinating occurs in nature and we can help it along by offering the right plants.
Native plants are of particular importance in the pollinator garden because these plants are ideally adapted to the area. These low maintenance plants have a natural resistance to disease and pests,
requiring far less chemicals than exotic ornamental’s. Birds tend to flock toward the native plants to forage for food. These birds help to keep garden pests in order.
The pollinator garden tends to have more flowers, shrubs, and trees versus grass. You may be concerned about the budget for all of these plants. I know we were. But the truth is you can grow so many plants from seeds if you just know how. I used to think it was a mysterious skill that I would never have. Now I know how to help seeds germinate, even the stubborn ones!
Let’s talk about the benefits of having more flowers and less grass. The most obvious benefit to having less lawn is less mowing, hooray! Secondly, during heavy rains the layers of plants will act as a sponge to soak up pooling water. Pounding rains will be deflected by the thick foliage of the bushes and ground cover, greatly reducing erosion.
As you can see, building a pollinator garden has many ecological benefits, of which pollination is only one.
7 Tips for a pollinator friendly yard
As we have seen, it is incredibly beneficial to provide a supportive environment for the wildlife, especially pollinators, in our yard. Even if we do not realize it, pollinators are responsible for the fertilization of the plants that produce the food we eat. Without them, our world looks bleak. It would be a world without the beauty and sweet fragrance of flowers. We would miss the familiar and methodical, almost hypnotic, buzz of the bees.
What would mornings be like without the cheerful sound of birds chirping? How about life without the abundant array of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs that we enjoy? For all of these
things, and more, we must thank our pollinators. They are an essential part of our lives and they need our help. Now, more than ever, it is our turn to give back to them.
What are some simple steps you have taken to support your backyard pollinators? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
