Bert Swope
A pollinator garden is designed and planted, with certain flowering and polluting plants, that attract certain pollinating insects called pollinators. These can be beneficial or harmful insects and sometimes even both. A good example would be bees. However, there are many other insects out there that would benefit from being added to your pollinator garden.
When designing a garden, you should take into consideration the type of insects that are going to be in your area. If you live in an area that receives heavy tree cover there is a good chance that some of your plant types will not thrive. For this reason, when designing your garden, look for plant types that will do well with minimal tree cover, such as ferns.
If you are looking to attract birds to your garden, there are a couple of key factors that you need to consider. First, certain bird species only visit specific plant types. For example, the species of bird that only visits gardens with red clover as their food may have trouble visiting a garden with alfalfa as their food. There are also a few other things to consider that are commonly overlooked. For example, a garden that has heavy grass can deter some birds from using it as a feeding ground.
The next thing to consider is the type of pollinators that will be visiting your garden. Is it going to be for nectar or for seeds? Do they come from plant types that are native to your area? Knowing the specifics of what each insect requires will help greatly in planning out your garden.
The type of plant you choose to use will also play a big part in your garden and how to make a pollinator garden. Many insects will feed off of plant types that are not native to them. This can be easily solved by planting varieties of native plants that are very similar. For example, if you are having problems getting birds to eat alfalfa then try growing some alfalfa. Native plants also provide other benefits to your garden. For example, plant diversity helps to insulate your garden from varying temperatures from summer to winter.
Of course, plant types alone will not attract all pollinators to your garden. It takes other measures like planting flowers that attract specific pollinators to your garden. How you go about this will depend on what plant types you use. For example, if you have an oak tree in your garden it will not attract bees because of the type of tree. Therefore, you would need to plant flowers that will attract some of the proper bee species.
If you want to know how to make a pollinator garden you need to know how to make sure that your garden gets enough water. Bees thrive on flowers that have adequate water so make sure you are providing those flowers with sufficient water. If your flowers are shaded by trees, grass, or shrubs then they will not be as likely to survive and you could end up with a garden full of dead flowers.
Pollination is a process that occurs naturally in many gardens but for many that do not have the space to grow plants themselves, you may need to attract bees to your garden. You can start by using an appropriate insecticide to get rid of unwanted pests. If you plan on using an insecticide, make sure you read the label carefully before you spray anything. If you are not sure, then talk to a garden supplier who can advise you on which products are safe to use around your children and pets. Getting started is not difficult but there are some things that you will need to know to make your new garden a success.
How to Plant a Pollinator Garden
