In my garden, the buzz of bees, flutter of butterflies, and graceful dance of hummingbirds are welcomed sights and sounds.

Pollinators bring a sprightly energy, with their winsome flight patterns and musical hums. They also lay the foundation of an essential, beneficial ecosystem.

With the right mix of plants and care, we can transform our gardens into sanctuaries for these essential creatures.

Embrace native plants

A true haven for pollinators begins with native plants.

Natives are plants that grew in your area before humans settled the land. They have evolved alongside local pollinators and provide a familiar and nutritious source of food. An additional benefit, natives are perfectly suited to your local growing conditions, and thus require much less care.

Opt for a diverse range of flowering native species like bee balm, cranesbill, and coneflowers (all native to Pennsylvania, where I live)—or research plants that are native to your area!

Think seasonally

To keep the pollinator buffet open year-round, select plants that bloom at different times of the year.

Spring bulbs like crocus and hyacinths bring much-need nourishment at the end of winter. Summer favorites like lavender, phlox, and zinnias offer a bountiful midyear feast. And as autumn arrives, asters and sedums provide a delightful finale to the pollinator's year.

Provide water

Just like humans and animals, pollinators need to stay hydrated!

Consider adding a shallow water source, like a bird bath with pebbles for perching, to quench the thirst of butterflies and bees.

I also have these bee cups scattered throughout the garden, a perfect bumble-sized watering hole for thirsty friends.

Avoid chemicals

Avoiding harmful pesticides and chemicals is crtical for creating a safe environment for pollinators (and animals, and humans, too!).

Embrace natural pest control methods like companion planting and attract beneficial insects that keep the unwanted ones at bay. Your garden will find its balance, and the pollinators will thrive.

Design for diversity

A well-designed garden offers a variety of heights, colors, and textures, creating an enchanting visual tapestry.

But a beautiful scene is not the only benefit. The diversity in plant types and shapes will attract a wide range of pollinators with different feeding preferences.

A garden bursting with variety will always create a richer, healthier ecosystem than a one-note planting scheme.

My favorite pollinator magnets

I’m adding pollinator-friendly flowers to the garden—and have accumulated a long list of favorites. A few of these are well known, others have been more recent discoveries (for me!).

1. Chinese forget-me-nots: I’m astounded at how much the bumbles loved these tiny blue blooms. Super easy to grow from seed, too—I’ll definitely be planting more of this annual next year!

2. Alliums: Bees love alliums—both the towering, spring-blooming varieties and small, summer blooming varieties, too!

3. Butterfly bush (buddleia): The name says it all. Butterflies and hummingbirds can always be found hanging around our large and small butterfly bushes.

4. Dahlias: I was surprised to learn that dahlias are a hummingbird haven in our garden. We have several types planted—the bees particularly like the open-centered varieties.

5. Agastache: Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds alike flock to the agastache, a member of the mint family with scents of anise and root beer!

🌸 Flower I’m admiring

The zinnias! They’re in bloom!

I sowed these as part of the Garden People summer sowalong back in May—and now they’re all grown up and blooming cheerfully in their pots. My Lilliput mix yielded mostly bubblegum pinks—but I’m just fine with that!

🍰 Snack I’m craving

Jeni’s lemon blueberry parfait ice cream. I had an idea of what this might taste like and it was so much more—well-exceeding my expectations. Perfect summer ice cream, especially when topped with fresh blueberries from the garden.

As I write this, a hummingbird hawk-moth is hovering at our Miss Ruby butterfly bush—not ten feet away. When I was young, I called them “humming bees,” as they seemed a curious mashups of the two pollinators.

What flowers are most popular for pollinators in your garden? Reply and let me know!

xx,

Courtney