How to Create A Pollinator Friendly Garden
What do bees, butterflies, moths, bats, beetles, birds, flies, and wasps have in common? They are all pollinators. Responsible for pollinating 300,000 plant species and more than 1,200 crops, pollinators work for free around the clock and provide us with an invaluable ecosystem service. Avocados, apples, oranges, squash, blueberries, and tomatoes depend on pollination. Some scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of the food that we eat is made possible by these industrious creatures.
Pollinators currently face a host of threats. Loss of habitat, disease, climate change, and pesticide and chemical use have negatively affected pollinator populations.
What can we do to help? Here are five simple ways to make your garden or yard pollinator friendly. Attracting pollinators adds beauty and biodiversity to your garden and can increase the quality and yields of your produce.
1) Flower Power: grow a variety of flowers to attract a wide range of pollinators. Bees usually prefer flowers they can walk on. Moths and butterflies like wide flowers they can land on.
2) Timing: make sure that your plants flower at different times of the year, so pollinators have a reason to visit your garden all year.
3) Organic: don’t use pesticides or herbicides. Many of the chemicals in these products are harmful to pollinators. Avoid the use of Neonicotinoids found in a lot of garden and household products. Instead, use eco-friendly nontoxic products and Integrated Pest Management for pest control.
4) Shelter: leave a wild space for pollinators to rest, nest, and live in. This could be small areas of fallen branches, an insect hotel, or shrubs and bushes.
5) Hydration: Leave shallow bowls of water in your yard. Provide a safe place for pollinators to drink by putting a rock or two in the water. (Change the water every other day to avoid mosquitos.)
Josh was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his passion and curiosity for the environment began and has continued to grow. During his undergraduate studies, Josh pursued this interest at the University of California at Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies.
Melissa Dodos developed her passion for creative reuse as a mother of four and elementary educator over the past 25 years. She loves to inspire creativity by connecting people with resources and ideas.
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife.
Stephanie began her journey as an educator over twenty years ago working as a preschool teacher in Washington state for a cooperative preschool program affiliated with Whatcom Community College. She loved observing the wonder and curiosity of the children and bringing them out into nature to explore the natural world. She continued her love for learning and got her teaching license and then her Montessori certification and worked as an elementary teacher in Tribal, Public, and Montessori schools. She collaborated to create a school garden and her students loved it so much that it became a special place where they could garden, read, explore, play, and it provided a safe sanctuary for students to calm down and reset when they were having difficult moments.
Morgan’s mermaid soul is always seeking adventure—swimming a relay across the Santa Barbara Channel and taking the first photo of a newborn orca off Anacapa Island being standout experiences close to home.
Lindsay Johnson
