Tips for Planting a Pollinator Garden 1

Name: ________________________________ Tips for Planting a Pollinator Garden 1. Choose a sunny spot that is safe from wind Your site should receive at least six hours of sun per day to help insects stay active. Make sure the spot is protected from strong winds, which make it hard for pollinators to fly between flowers. 2. Include a variety of flower types, colors, and shapes Different pollinators have different mouthparts, which fit different shapes of flowers. A variety of flower colors will also attract a variety of pollinators. 3. Plant flowers that bloom at different times Having flowers that bloom throughout the growing season means that pollinators will visit your garden all spring and summer long. 4. Plant in clusters Planting flowers in groups helps bees find them more easily, and collect pollen and nectar more efficiently. 5. Plant native species Pollinators are best adapted to local, native plants. Native plants are also better adapted to our region’s climate and soils, and can grow well with less watering. 6. Avoid using pesticides Many pesticides are dangerous to pollinators, especially bees. Consider using an alternative, such as spraying your garden with light soapy water to ward off unwanted pests. 7. Make sure to include food sources for all life stages All butterflies come from caterpillars, so make sure you grow plants for caterpillars too. Be prepared for some leaf damage--caterpillars need to eat a lot! 8. Provide sources of water for pollinators Pollinators need water too! You can add rocks to a birdbath to give pollinators a place to land while they drink. Small puddles will also do the trick. Pollinators and Food Sources Monarch Black Swallowtail Larva Milkweed Larva Parsley Butterfly Milkweed Butterfly Red Clover Bees Carpenter Bee Bumblebee Bee Balm Black-eyed Susan Sweat Bee Honey Bee Goldenrod Asters Name: ________________________________ Design your own pollinator garden! Think of a place where you could plant a pollinator garden. It might be your home, your school, or a community center. Consider the following questions: How would you organize that garden? What plants would you choose? What other features would you include? Landscape architects often use diagrams to plan gardens and outdoor spaces. Diagrams include both pictures and labels or descriptions. In the space below, create a diagram to plan your garden. Remember to include features like plants, buildings, trees, sidewalks, and water sources. On the lines below, write about how your garden design will help support pollinators, like bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Teacher Guide Design your own pollinator garden! Think of a place where you could plant a pollinator garden. It might be your home, your school, or a community center. Consider the following questions: How would you organize that garden? What plants would you choose? What other features would you include? Landscape architects often use diagrams to plan gardens and outdoor spaces. Diagrams include both pictures and labels or descriptions. In the space below, create a diagram to plan your garden. Remember to include features like plants, buildings, trees, sidewalks, and water sources. Discuss with students why pollinator gardens are beneficial to pollinator populations and humans. Bees and other pollinators have declined as pesticide use has increased and habitat has decreased. One way to make sure that pollinators have enough habitat to forage for food and reproduce is to plant pollinator gardens at home and throughout the community. Pollinators are important to both plants and humans. Without pollinators, 80% of flowering plants would not be able to reproduce. That includes one third of the food we eat! Pollinators are key in the production of strawberries, blueberries, cherries, melons, tomatoes, pumpkins, and many other foods. Declines in pollinator populations threaten all of these crops as well as native plant communities. Once students have discussed the importance of increasing pollinator habitat, they can use the tips for creating a pollinator garden and pollinator food source sheets as resources to help begin planning their gardens. This activity can be used as an individual or group project. Designs might include information like species to plant, arrangements, water sources for pollinators, and even nesting sites. They should also make sure to include landscape information, like buildings, sidewalks, and trees that are already present at the site. Landscape architects use this type of diagram as a way to share plans for a site with others, especially those who implement the designs. This means the plan must be clear enough that others can understand and implement it. Including labels is a great way to make sure that plans are clear. On the lines below, write about how your garden design will help support pollinators, like bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. On the lines provided, students should explain how the elements of their design will work together to help protect and provide habitat for pollinators. Encourage students to think about pollinators’ needs through various stages of the life cycle. How will their garden designs ensure that all of those needs are met? Which pollinators would they expect to see in the garden? Students can also discuss what other benefits pollinator gardens might have--including enhancing populations of native plant and animal species, supporting local agriculture, building community, and beautifying the spaces they have chosen. .

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