It’s Time to “Think Pollinators” Again
Photo: Patricia Andersen
Here are some websites you might wish to check for good information on various ways, big and small, to help our pollinators.
Plant a Pollinator Strip from The Chicago Botanic Gardens
Smart gardeners know that it's the presence of pollinators—the bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, and other insects (plus hummingbirds)—that makes the difference in the health and fertility and productivity of wild plants, food plants, and landscape plants alike. Recent news about the die-off in honey bee colonies and the decline in monarch butterflies makes the issue of pollinators important for all gardeners.
Have a look at your yard/garden with a critical eye. Are your plants healthy and thriving, or do you have to chemically support them? Does your yard buzz with activity in summer, or is the air silent and still? In short, are there ample pollinators in your yard? Go here to check the information on plants:
https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/smartgardener/plant_a_pollinator_strip
Here are additional sites with lots of useful tips and information on what plants to plant…
https://extension.illinois.edu/cook/pollinator-gardens with lots of information on garden design for the pollinators.
https://www.czs.org/Pollinators with a great list of plants for attracting Hummingbirds and other pollinators.
May 1, 2020