What is a pollinator garden? Simply put, it is a garden designed to attract insects and animals that assist in pollinating flowers, vegetables, and other plants. Creating such a garden is easier than you may think! Continue reading to learn how to create a pollinator friendly garden!
What is a Pollinator?
A pollinator is an insect, animal, or human being that pollinates a plant. For example, the insect brings the pollen of one flower to another flower of the same species of plant. Examples of pollinators may include bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, small animals, and birds.
How to Attract Pollinators
The key to attracting pollinators to your pollinator friendly gardening is creating a hospitable habitat for your little friends.
Perennials
Yarrow is an excellent perennial to plant in your pollinator friendly garden. It is made up of clusters of tiny flowers packed together. Native to North Carolina and much of North America, yarrow is a flower loved by all pollinators!
Available as both perennials and annuals, salvias are especially cherished by hummingbirds. More specifically, the Black and Blue Salvia is a salvia variety that will be the hummingbird’s first stop in your garden!
Annuals
While annuals die every year and do not come back like perennials, they still provide a lot of color, variation, and a pollinator friendly environment.
Snapdragons are an annual that pollinators love! It is a great annual to plant during the fall and into early spring.
Lavender is another annual that attracts many bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. While it may be sold as a perennial in other parts of the country, lavender cannot handle Fayetteville’s summer heat, so plant it as an annual.
Shrubs
It is important to construct a garden that provides interest and a habitat as close to year ’round as possible. Including shrubs amongst the perennials and annuals will do just that!
Roses are an old-time favorite that will bloom from spring to early fall, thus providing a garden that will continue to attract pollinators for much of the year.
Buddleias, commonly known as Butterfly Bushes, are the perfect addition to any pollinator friendly garden. Just as their name suggests, they will attract butterflies (and bees) to your garden all summer long!