You may have noticed in past years that pollinator plants were on the decline. But why?
Most reasons are related to the use of chemicals. Many people see a weed and immediately want to spray it with Roundup. But an organic herbicide is much safer for the health of our pollinator plants. This year, M.J. started a test—we’re using garden vinegar in our M.J. Gardens. We wanted to see how often and how much is needed to help with weed control. Stay tuned for our findings!
In addition to using organic herbicides, planting a few Ohio native plants like coneflowers, aster, and milkweed on your property helps pollinators, too. Some think these are hard to grow in a garden, but that is not the case. The only real challenge is being able to control them in your garden. Remember most local pollinators have short bloom cycles, so if you want some flower color throughout the year, you will need to plant a variety of different pollinator plants.
We like to tell the story of our longtime client, Becky, who we helped with creating a pollinator garden 5 years ago. Last year, she registered in the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. This past year she even added a bee hotel for solitary bees! You can find bee hotels at your local garden center or Amazon.com. Becky enjoys sitting on her patio and watching all the different butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. When grandchildren visit, they love to watch all the visitors, too!
Check out Becky’s planting notes and reflections/comments on her gardening:
Interested in learning more about the benefits of our plantings and pollinator plants?