Creating a lush garden brings an outdoor living space to life, and the best plants for the job are native varieties that teem with beneficial pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths.
While both native and non-native fragrant flowers may be a feast for the human senses, only plants endemic to a region supply viable habitat for the pollinators that evolved with them.
Sadly, these native varieties are dwindling, as meadows and woodlands succumb to suburban sprawl.
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In my area, flipping houses is all the rage, and creating curb appeal is the icing on the home-reno cake.
Instant gardens appear just in time for open house, usually consisting of what I call “builder grade” non-natives.
They may look pretty, but they don’t make the grade when it comes to the environment.
Short of inhibiting erosion and supporting the occasional bird nest, they earn a big zero when it comes to attracting pollinators.
Ready to make your garden a haven for pollinating insects? Attracting them to your yard can result in higher yields from your fruit trees and the vegetable garden, too.
Here’s what’s to come in this article:
Making Pollinators a PriorityAccording to the Xerces Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of invertebrate populations, “The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year in the US.”
Home gardeners can make a difference, one backyard at a time.
I’ve had good luck with the following nectar-rich species. They
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