Help the butterflies and your vegetable garden by planting a pollinator garden! Whether you’re devoting a whole space to it, or just popping in a few pollinator plants, we’ll show you how to bring all the fluttery friends to your yard.
image via @twomauromama
One of the very best things you can do for the health of our planet (and your vegetable garden) is to plant more pollinator plants. If you can devote an entire space to a pollinator garden? Amazing! But even if you just have space to pop in one or two pollinator friendly plants, you’ll be doing a lot to help create a safe habitat for pollinators in your area.
image via @twomauromama
What makes a good pollinator garden?
Variety
While sticking one or two plants in the ground is better than nothing, a truly robust pollinator garden is filled with many, many different varieties of plants. This not only attracts different kinds of insects (each has their fave flower!) but also provides nectar and shelter throughout the entire growing season.
Native-first
The best way to support the native insect populations in your area is to plant native pollinator plants. They go together like peanut butter and jelly! We highly recommend that your pollinator garden focuses mostly (if not entirely) on plants native to your area.
Providing nectar and food through the entire season
Butterflies need to eat all season long, so if you just plant one flower that only blooms for three weeks out of the year—your garden isn’t sustaining them for very long. Provide nectar and food sources throughout the entire growing season. Bonus: growing plants that flower throughout the growing season makes the garden look pretty at all times!
As we’ve mentioned, we really would love for you to focus on native, local plants for your pollinator garden, so everyone’s list is going to be different! But here is a general list of plants that will work almost everywhere.
