Grow a Pollinator paradise – by Diane Morey Sitton

If April showers bring May flowers, it follows that bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds won’t be far behind. Driven by their appetite for nectar, they flit from one nectar-rich flower to another, collecting and spreading pollen as they go. Good thing, too. It is said that more than 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants rely on pollinators to fertilize their blooms.

It’s easy and rewarding to invite these multi-taskers to your garden. Just follow the tips below.

• Grow a variety of pollinator-friendly plants including nectar-rich native species, herbs, reseeding annuals and perennials. Appeal to different pollinators with flowers in various sizes, colors and shapes. Offer a continuous food source by growing plants that bloom in different seasons.

• To butterflies, bright colors are a beacon, helping them spot flowers from a distance. Simplify their search by growing pink, purple, red, yellow and orange blooms. Specific butterfly species favor specific plants, so research your region, check with the experts, and grow the plants most likely to attract local and migrating species.

• Butterflies need host plants for their caterpillar stage, so include native milkweed, fennel and nasturtium, among other known favorites. Black swallowtails favor parsley and dill; Gulf fritillary butterflies seek out passionflower.

• Hummingbirds are especially drawn to red, tubular-shaped blooms, but the insatiable, high-energy beauties are attracted to pink, orange, yellow and other brightly-colored flowers, as well. Bee balm, lantana, garden phlox and salvia number among their favorites. Scatter plantings throughout the garden to minimize competition among fellow hummers.

• Bees are invaluable pollinators of crop plants including tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and melons, as well as blueberries and other berry-producing plants. Flowers, too, are bee magnets including coneflower, coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, blanket flower and goldenrod. Both honeybees and bumblebees feed on sunflowers’ disk-like centers which consist of small, nectar-filled florets.

• Avoid using pesticides where pollinators feed.

• Create an oasis for pollinators by filling a shallow saucer with water. Add stones for landing sites. Butterflies appreciate puddling pools (shallow pans of water that include soil) where they can drink and absorb nutrients at the same time.

• Lure pollinators to sunny decks and patios by growing pollinator-friendly plants in pots and planter boxes. Enjoy the color and the pollinator action by planting bee balm, blanket flower, butterfly bush, coreopsis, cosmos, coneflower, marigold, sunflower and zinnia, among others.