Hey plant people, it’s national pollinator week! This week is dedicated to celebrating the amazing creatures that play such an important role in our ecosystem. Pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds, and beetles need our protection as their habitats decline. While we wish every lawn across the Charleston area could be a pollinator garden full of native plants and colorful blooms, it’s not always a realistic goal for the average home gardener. However, we can all do our part and lend a hand when it comes to pollinators protection! Customers love the idea of a pollinator garden, but getting started can be daunting. Today, we’re going to look at ways to incorporate pollinator plants into your existing garden and discuss a few plants you should consider including!
This English inspired garden is straight out of a fairytale and may appear very formal and traditional at first glance, however, the style leaves room to incorporate pollinator flowers throughout the design. This client had a distinct, wonderful vision for their space and the result is a beautiful garden consisting of many elements that work together perfectly. The more classic elements like the intricate brickwork, boxwood hedges, and urn planters create structure for the more delicate pieces of the garden.
The pathways and beds form a geometric design that is pleasing to the eye. Nestled within each bed lies a dense arrangement of plants, perfect for the local pollinators. Consider including Mexican heather, various salvias, penta, and blue daze to achieve a similar look. This technique is not only beautiful, but practical for existing gardens! If you have a gap between shrubs you’re looking to fill or an empty section of bed exposed to the sun, consider utilizing the space for pollinator plants!
This design maintains its formal appearance by incorporating flowering plants in softer shades, like white and pink. The beds are layered by height and the plants are arranged with structure in mind. The alternating joe-pye weed and boxwood in the photo below is a great example of this practice. The front beds include edible plants, salvias, and even more blooms to continue the layered, lush design.
Additionally, you can incorporate potted plants in your yard. Whether it’s a bench dedicated to terracotta pots and complimenting foliage or large planters with seasonal blooms, adding pollinator plants this way is always a good idea. Adding pollinator pots to your space is possible even if your yard is fully landscape (or maybe you don’t have a yard!).
Looking for native pollinators to plant this season? We recommend black eyed susan, swamp milkweed, purple coneflower, great blue lobelia, passion flower, or goldenrod. Other non natives that pollinators love include gaillardia, gaura, sunflower, and bee balm. #Getplanting this week!
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