How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

Create a pollinator-friendly garden by planting native flowering plants in clusters, providing continuous blooms throughout the growing season, and eliminating pesticide use while adding water sources and nesting sites.

1. Plant Native Species in Clusters. Select plants native to your region that bloom at different times throughout the growing season. Native plants are best adapted to local pollinators and require less maintenance. Plant in groups of three to five of the same species rather than scattered individual plants. This creates visual impact that attracts pollinators from greater distances and makes foraging more efficient.
2. Map Year-Round Flowering Cycles. Design your garden so something is always flowering from early spring through late fall. Include early bloomers like crocuses and wild columbine, summer stalwarts like bee balm and black-eyed Susan, and late-season performers like asters and goldenrod. This ensures pollinators have consistent food sources throughout their active periods.
3. Layer Heights and Flower Forms. Mix plants of varying heights from ground covers to tall perennials and shrubs. Include different flower shapes like flat landing pads for butterflies, tubular flowers for hummingbirds, and clustered small flowers for smaller bees. This diversity attracts different types of pollinators with varying feeding preferences and flight patterns.
4. Go Chemical-Free Forever. Stop using chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides in your garden. These chemicals kill beneficial insects directly or contaminate the nectar and pollen that pollinators depend on. If pest control is necessary, use targeted organic methods like hand-picking, beneficial insects, or horticultural oils applied in early morning or evening when pollinators are less active.
5. Create Refreshing Water Stations. Set up shallow water dishes with landing spots like stones or twigs. Change the water every few days to prevent mosquito breeding. A dripping faucet, shallow birdbath, or small fountain works well. Position water sources near flowering plants but not so close that they interfere with pollinator access to flowers.
6. Build Homes for Every Bee Species. Leave some areas of bare soil for ground-nesting bees, which make up 70% of native bee species. Create brush piles or leave hollow plant stems standing through winter for cavity-nesting bees. Install or build bee houses with different sized holes for various bee species. Position nesting sites in protected areas that receive morning sun.
7. Embrace the Beautiful Mess. Resist the urge to clean up everything in fall. Leave leaf litter, plant stems, and fallen logs where many beneficial insects overwinter. Designate a corner of your yard as a wild area where native plants can establish naturally. This provides both food and shelter that manicured landscapes lack.