With Spring weather (hopefully) on it's way, you may be thinking about cleaning up and adding to your garden, or even creating a new one!
From tidy gardens to a curated patch of wildflowers, this is the perfect opportunity create a space that invites our very important pollinators for a visit!
Did you know that bees contribute to 1/3 of the food that humans consume, and butterflies pollinate the plants and help the flower species develop and flourish? Honeybees and butterflies are incredibly important to the health of the environment due to their crucial roles in the natural eco-system. Both honeybees and butterflies have experienced a severe decline in their populations due to habitat loss, pesticides, and the negative effects of climate change.
By avoiding the use of pesticide in your gardens, you are giving honeybees and butterflies a safe space to fulfill their duties.
Here are the perfect pollinator-friendly plants and flowers that you can plant this Spring (you could say they're the bee's knees):
Butterfly Bush
Also known as Buddleia.
Blooms: Summer to Autumn
Exposure: Full sun
Maintenance: Low maintenance. Make sure to deadhead throughout it's bloom life and prune in late winter to encourage flowers and create a compact shape. Water freely.
Tips: Plant bushes 5 to 10 feet apart
Coneflower
Also known as Echinacea.
Blooms: mid-Summer to end-of-Fall frost
Exposure: Full sun
Maintenance: Low maintenance. Provide regular watering of approximately 1 inch per week.
Tips: Plant flowers 1 to 3 feet apart
Dahlia
Blooms: Summer to mid-Fall
Exposure: Full sun, some protection from wind
Maintenance: Mid maintenance. Provide a deep watering 2-3 times per week for 30 minutes.
Tips: Plant flowers 9 to 12 inches apart
Daisy
Blooms: Spring to early Fall
Exposure: Full sun
Maintenance: Low maintenance. Water during the summer only if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
Tips: Plant flowers 1 to 2 feet apart
Lavender
Blooms: Spring to early Fall
Exposure: Full sun
Maintenance: Low maintenance. Water once or twice per week after planting, and water mature plants every 2-3 weeks until buds form.
Tips: Plant flowers 2 to 3 feet apart
Marigold
Blooms: Spring to early Fall
Exposure: Full sun
Maintenance: Low maintenance. Deadhead to the nearest set of leaves to allow for new blooms. Allow soil to dry between waterings.
Tips: Plant flowers 10 to 12 inches apart
Snapdragon
Blooms: Summer to Fall
Exposure: Full sun
Maintenance: Low maintenance. Provide regular waterings and prune plant back to approximately 6 inches once the flowers no longer bloom.
Tips: Plant flowers 10 to 12 inches apart
Sunflower
Blooms: Summer to early Fall
Exposure: Full sun, some protection from wind
Maintenance: Low maintenance. Provide heavy watering once per week.
Tips: Plant flowers 2 to 3 feet apart
Happy gardening!
