As we begin to plan out this year’s garden, many of us are thinking of all of the delicious fruits and vegetables that are to come. We are clearing out the old, and adding new amendments to our soil to get it just right. We are worrying about acquiring our favorite varieties of seeds and starts, cautious of the last errant frost that will kill our progress.
The thing about fruits and vegetables is, that all of that alone will not ensure that your garden is as productive as it can be. Just about everything we grow requires pollinators to fertilize them. No bees, no peas. No squash. No beans.
All of these plants have flowers, but they will only attract a handful of bees on their own. The best bet to up your chances is to have bright, fragrant, and colorful flowers in and around your garden to make sure that you will have a steady supply of worker bees pollinating every day.
Bees like a variety of flowers, but there are other important pollinators in your garden. Hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, and even bats can be critical to pollinating every flower.. There are a variety of plants that will attract certain pollinators, such as honeysuckles for hummingbirds, or milkweed for monarch butterflies, but the best bet is to have a large variety of different colors, shapes, flowering times, and some native species to make sure you have something for everyone.
It’s easy to mix some flowers into your garden, and it’ll make your garden that much more beautiful. Taking care of your pollinators is a mutual endeavor. If you provide for your local pollinators, they will ensure you have a bountiful garden.