Pollinator Conservation: Gardens
Pollinators require two essential components in their habitat: somewhere to nest and flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. Native plants are undoubtedly the best source of food for pollinators, because plants and their pollinators have coevolved. Many varieties of garden plants are also good for these important insects.
In many landscapes, flowers have been pushed to the margins, surviving on roadsides and field edges, as well as in wild areas and gardens. Providing patches of flowers is one thing we can do to improve the environment for pollinators. Creating foraging habitat not only helps the bees, butterflies and flies that pollinate these plants, but also results in beautiful, appealing landscapes.
Three things you can do to enhance pollinators in your garden are:
- provide a range of native flowering plants that bloom throughout the growing season
- create nest sites for native bees (see our fact sheet for instructions)
- avoid using pesticides
This garden provides a diversity of plants that bloom throughout the season. Photo by Matthew Shepherd.