National Pollinator Week is being celebrated from June 20-26 this year, and this is a great time to think about creating welcoming habitat for pollinators in your wildlife garden.
There are lots of activities being planned to celebrate pollinators, so it should be easy to find some in your area.
Usually when we hear the word “pollinators” we think of bees, and most often to many people that means honeybees. But did you know that there are many native bees that are really struggling due to habitat loss? Pollinator conservation can be a primary goal of your habitat garden as you learn to provide for all of their needs.
In addition to native bees, our pollinators also include butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, some bats, and even flies and beetles. And your ecosystem garden can be a welcoming oasis for many of these species.
You can attract native pollinators by understanding all of the life-cycle needs of the pollinators in your area. It’s not just about planting nectar plants, it’s about providing safe nesting sites, and the specific habitat elements required by each species.
But don’t stop at bees!
- Hummingbird Moth
Here’s some other tips for attracting different pollinators:
- Attract butterflies to your wildlife garden
- Design your habitat garden for moths
- Discover planting guides for pollinators for every region in the country
- Learn how different types of pollinators use different flowers
My friend Gail Eichelberger has been studying and photographing all of the various pollinators in her garden. She’s written an amazing series documenting the pollinators she’s seen at Clay and Limestone. (Scroll down to the bottom of that post to see links to the rest of the series). And while you’re there, leave her some nice comments about this wonderful series. Tell her Carole sent you 
What are you doing to create welcoming habitat for pollinators in your wildlife garden?
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I put in 8 Lemon Queen sunflowers by my garden this year. I also put in a hummingbird/butterfly garden but it’s not full grown yet.
Pamela, kudos to you for putting in your hummingbird and butterfly garden. If you’ve got some host plants for butterflies in there, I’m sure you’ll be seeing some egg laying soon!
Hi Pamela! Have you heard about the Great Sunflower Project? It’s a cool way for citizens to contribute to research and conservation about native bees! You’re already on your way to being set up for the project because you planted Lemon Queen sunflowers. Basically, the project has folks watch their sunflowers for a set period of time, every 2 weeks during the summer, and count how many bees visit! Check out more details here: http://www.greatsunflower.org/
My kids and I planted host plants last year and had so many caterpillars/ butterflies. We are so addicted now. We (or I) got more host plants this year. We added snapdragons, hollyhocks, spicebush, paw paw trees, fennel, nettle..(to our existing milkweed, parsley and butterfly weed)
We have about 12 black swallowtail larva now and just a couple monarchs. Stop by my Shutterfly site (guest page) to see my yard– http://etterscreations1.shutterfly.com Oh, we also have lots of trees for our birds and tons of hummingbird plants.
Connie:
Your butterfly garden sounds lovely. I hope you get some Zebra Swallowtails at your Paw Paw!
What a super useful post! In just a couple of minutes I’ve found a list of the butterflies that visit my county and a regional planting guide for my zip code! I’ve been working on attracting the pollinators for several years and each year I see more of them. It’s one of the most satisfying things about gardening.
Thanks, Ginny. I’m so glad you’re creating welcoming habitats for pollinators in your garden! You’re right, attracting them really is satisfying
I also have a butterfly garden and use no pesticides. I have a butterfly garden and hummingbird garden with two chaste trees in the front yard . I have so many differnt size and types of bees,but the Japanese beetles plague me as well. I have to pick them off the chaste trees and not get in the way of the bees. I have just put down the millky spore powder I hope this helps with the beetles next year.
Today I was inspired by the pollinators….
http://tofu-2011project.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-21-2011-buzz.html
I have some great night blooming jasmine and the Hummingbird moths are covered all over them. I do get some hummingbirds also. I don’t like the gypsy moth as that brings caterpillers etc. We do have some really beautiful butterflies.
Our pyrocanthus in the front yard along with a large bed of bachelor buttons along the house makes the whole place hummmmmm with the sound of bees, wasps, and hummingbirds. We are in the foothills of the Cascades and so love seeing all our winged friends. Wish I could post pictures for you to see!
I have a beautiful butterfly garden with a butterfly bush, monardo,asters and yarrow. Other beautiful gardens include zinnias. sunflowers, black eyed susan, purple coneflowers, four o’clocks and salvia.
I am finding out why bee’s, butterflies and other insects are dying is because of
Mosquito spraying, this should be stopped in all states. This is why we don’t have
The bee’s that we once had, what is wrong with our state Gov’t.?
Now you know why we don’t see a lot of insects we once had, I know this for sure as I see
Them lying in yard and driveway along with other insects.
Jerry. JP163@aol.com
Every year I look forward to seeing my butterflies. I am in the last stages of lung diease. And I am home bound. My husband planted a butterfly bush up against our front porch, so that I wouldn’t have to go down stairs and I could come and sit on porch and enjoy these amazing butterflies. I have summited serval pics of them, for I am so proud of them. I just cherish every moment that I can sit and watch such splendor.
Awesome! I think it’s very important for all to do what they can to help out pollinators. I need to diversify my garden to accomodate March andn April bloomers. We have a colony of sand bees in our dog run on the side of our house.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
Julie
Hi Julie! I wanted to thank you for allowing your little ground-nesting bees to keep their nests in your dog run! The majority of the 4,000 native bees in the U.S. nest in the ground and they need all the help we can get!
My Rose of Sharon is blooming right now and the bees really love them, but I mostly see bumble bees that are loaded with pollen stuck to them! I rarely see honey bees and I agree with Jerry ; man is destroying alot of this world with chemicals! When are they going to wake up; when it is to late!!
Simply enjoyed reading your post and as usual it is fantastic. I wish there wer more people who understood about nature and the natural beauty
Pls keep sharing such wonderful articles. I too have a small butterfly garden @ my home:)
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