If you're anything like me, you have been eagerly planning out your garden and dreaming of the day your hands get to plant little seeds again. These warm and sunny Ohio days we've had recently have been such a tease for us impatient gardeners. As you make your plans for your garden this year, I hope to encourage you to plan on adding these helpful items to your garden to attract pollinators!
I am no expert when it comes to gardening. I don't have acres and acres of fruit trees or corn growing as far as the eye can see. I simply grew up with a backyard garden, learned a thing or two, and found myself drawn back to it in my adult years.
One thing I learned while growing a garden with my parents, was to plant marigolds in your garden. Why? The marigolds acted as a natural pest deterrent to some bugs that are commonly found while growing vegetables. They also looked pretty. Every year, I would add marigolds to my garden to help deter pests. Unknownlingly by doing this, I was actually helping my garden to grow, produce better crops, and provide food to pollinators that are at risks of going globally extinct.
Bees, butterflies, some birds, and even beetles are among a growing list of pollinator species at jeopardy of extinction. Their extinction could threaten the world's food supply! In fact, we rely on pollinators to help produce as much as one-third of our food. One of the most helpful things you can do to help this situation, is to plant flowers that attract pollinators!
Flowers I've Planted In Our Garden:
1. Marigolds
Marigolds are one of the most common insect repelling flowers to plant in a garden. They have a scent that will keep mosquitoes, nematodes like cabbage worms, squash bugs, tomato worms, and other pests and diseases away. They also attract beneficial instants that attack and kill aphids. Marigolds are annual flowers that range from red, orange, to yellow. They are excellent companion plants! The size of the plants can vary depending on the variety, ranging from 6 inches tall to upwards of 4 feet tall!!! I experienced this for myself last year in the garden. I always pick up marigolds from a super center or home and garden center. These marigolds always stay so short and so small- making them so easy to squeeze in amount my tomatoes and other vegetables. I also tried planting marigolds for the first time by seed last year. I didn't pay much attention to the variety and they quickly took over my raised garden box I had planted broccoli in. They were HUGE! Something I have learned since then, is that marigolds tolerate being prune back very well.
Attracts: Butterflies and Moths
2. Cosmos
These annual dainty flowers are stunning. They grow long slender stems and come in many beautiful colors. They make for great cut flowers! Last year was my first year growing them and they were such a treat to see. The plant size can vary from 1 to 5 feet tall. I'm pretty sure mine were close to 6 feet tall! Depending on the size variety you choose, they make require some support. These flowers are easy to direct-sow outdoors and can survive in even the poorest soil conditions.
Attracts: Birds, Bees, Butterflies, and Moths
3. Sunflowers
Another annual for the garden. These flowers grow tall, stunning, large-headed flowers. They're also one of the more common flowers seen growing in and around gardens. If your purchasing sunflowers to help pollinators, make sure you buy pollen-bearing varieties. Sunflowers come in a wide variety of sizes; dwarf sizes around 3 feet to tall varieties at 15 feet tall! This may require staking for support or a fence for them to lean against. Sun flowers do well in full sun and due to their height, I tend to plant them where they won't shadow my other crops from the sun.
Attracts: Bees and Birds
4. Zinnias
Zinnias are one of my absolute favorite flowers to plant in the garden. The range of colors you get from them is unbelievable sometimes. I love that they're very easy to grow, mature quickly, and bloom all throughout the season. These flowers are sure to attract butterflies and bees daily. We would always have visitors in the garden while we weeded and harvested.
Attract: Bees and Butterflies
Other Ways To Incorporate Flowers In The Garden:
Adding pollinator-friendly flowers and plants into the garden can be done a few ways. Of course, we can plant them intermixed between our crops or along boarders of beds or in containers near the crops. As you do this, consider your climate and growing space too. Try to choose varieties that are native to your area and grow well in your growing zone. Buy flowers that are best suited for your growing conditions as well; temperatures, sun light, drainage of soil, and qualify of soil. Try selecting a assortment of plants for pollinators that bloom at different times throughout the year! This will provide a staggered and continuous supply of food for our helpful little workers! Some other great options to plant among your crops would be Aster, Coneflower, Snapdragons, Oregano, Milkweed, Lavender, Nasturtium, and Wildflower Mixes.
Don't stop there! Think about adding flower beds that surround your garden too! You can plant perennials in these surrounding flower beds that will also attract pollinators and bring beauty to the garden. I currently have one perennial flower bed near our garden with plans to add more permanent landscaping as we expand our gardening space. All in time and as I can afford to do so. I currently have hostas plants that a neighbor dug up and a small hydrangea given to me by my mother from her plants at home in this flower bed near the garden. Eventually, I would like to add more flower varieties to this bed and my other hosts beds that surround our back deck. I also grow daisies, tulips, daffodils, lily of the valley, another lily variety, mums, hibiscus, and roses in our front flower beds.
I also have two whiskey barrels that flank our front steps that I enjoy planting with red, white, and blue varieties of flowers. I plant those just before Memorial Day and they will bloom throughout Fourth of July and Labor Day for me. I use to plant whatever I wanted in them; usually white petunias. I love how they get so large and over grown in the barrels, spilling over the sides. Now I find so much joy in these "red, white, and blue" themed planters. I haven't found my favorite red or blue flowers yet. Last year, I planted red daisies and for the blue color we used lobelia (which eventually this blue creeping flower got lost and killed off by the petunias becoming so lush). I also used this other blue colored flower, that I thought was an annual, and turns out its a perennial. I can't remember the name of it but here's a photo of it below. I will have to remember to take pictures of our barrel planters this year when they are in their prime. I'll write up a blog post about how I plant these themed planters for you all!
Other Ways To Attract Pollinators:
Flowers are a wonderfully easy way to get those bees buzzing around your garden, but there's a few other ways we can attract them and keep them stopping by!
Plant With A Plan!
Try planting native blooming trees, shrubs, and wildflowers in your yard. You can provide pollinators with loads of nectar and pollen to consume. Try to also plant flowers that are long and tubular. Hummingbirds truly adore these types of plants and will be more apt to visit a garden with them. Pick colors that will attract the pollinators! Bees typically are drawn to blue and purple flowers. Hummingbirds and Butterflies are drawn to bright bold colors like red, yellow, orange, and pink! If you want a show stopping flower to attract Hummingbirds, buy Fuchsias! They are so gorgeous and fairly easy to care for in my opinion.
Add A Water Feature
This should come with no surprise; pollinators need water to survive. But did you know that butterflies and some types of bees need access to muddy puddles? (I do now!) These species gather nutrients and minerals from the muddy puddles. How cool is that? You can provide a birdbath, garden fountain, or some sort of other water feature in your garden. I think the idea of a bird bath with a solar power water fountain sprayer would be lovely. In addition to your water feature, make sure you have rocks or provide some other kind of safe dry landing station for bees and butterflies.
Welcome To The Bug Hotel
A "bug hotel" provides a safe shelter and rest area for bees, butterflies, and other bugs. These little houses are affordable to buy and easy to create your own at home too. You can hang them off a near by tree, a gardening shed, or simply stand them up somewhere safe in the garden.
Feeding Frenzy
Set up some bird houses, platform feeders, hanging feeders, hummingbird feeders, etc around your yard. Place them in trees or under overhands to provide safety from predators. We currently have two bird feeders off our back porch, not too far from the garden. One is an actual feeder and the other is a bird cage. Yes. A bird cage. It's the most comical thing ever. I aquired this bird cage from a home decor store. It's not actually a real bird cage but it did come with a roost... so maybe you could have? I'm not sure, I bought it to put our wedding cards in at our recepetion. Since then I removed the roost, zip tied the front doorway open, and punched holes into a planter liner that sits at the base (like those circle discs you put under flower pots). This is how I fill it with bird seed but also allows water to drain out of it. I do find that I have to fill it with less seed, because when it rains the water does collect some. Then I am left with a bird feeder that looks like its lawn needs mowed. It's comical to us, because the birds fight over who gets to sit inside the bird feeder and have all the seed to themselves. While the other birds cling to the outside and pop their heads through the bars to get the seed. They actually prefer the bird cage feeder over my actual bird seed feeder.
Soon enough you will have lots of little friends helping your garden thrive. Adding these few things to your yard will encourage pollinators to hang out and provide you with endless outdoor entertainment. Also, Good For You, for helping our environment! I hope this post inspires you to add some of these to your garden this year.
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