Nippon Daisy with Bee
Our butterflies and other pollinators are under attack from the continued use of pesticides and herbicides. In addition, the development of former open areas and old farm fields is progressing at an alarming rate – not only affecting our pollinators – but our songbirds. What can you do?
Small Steps for Big Changes
- If you have a lawn service company tend your yard or landscape, ask for only organic treatments without herbicides. You might have a few weeds, but you will also have more beneficial insects and therefore more birds and butterflies!
- If you have a mosquito control application – only accept organic treatments without chemical insecticides.
- If you have a large lawn, consider allowing a portion of it to grow unmowed or start a meadow or mini-meadow.
What You Can Plant to Aid the Pollinators
Coneflower with Bee
At the very least, you can plant more pollinator/butterfly-attracting perennials. You’ll appreciate the color and so will our pollinator friends. Here are a few great plants to start out:
- Yarrow
- Butterfly Weed
- Aster
- Tickseed
- Coneflower
- Perennial Sunflower
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Phlox
- Sedums
- Iron Weed
- Bee Balm
- Lavender
- Sage
- Catmint
Create a Pollinator Paradise in Your Garden
A great way to draw in more pollinators is by cluster planting. Group plantings in clusters of 3–5 species to make them more visible and inviting. You should also:
- Include shrubs and grasses like native joe-pye, littleseed, or milkweed stalks—they offer shelter and overwintering habitat .
- Leave natural debris such as a few leaf litter piles or bare stems for butterflies and native bees to overwinter.
Avoid Invasive and Treated Plants
Skip non-natives that don’t support local pollinators—even if they bloom brightly. Confirm no neonicotinoid seed coatings—those systemic pesticides, even labeled “natural” can harm beneficial insects.
Your Garden Matters
Pollinators support up to 90% of our flowering plants, including food crops . They’re experiencing real threats from fewer milkweed patches to altered bloom times due to warming trends.
Your garden could be part of a resilient network sustaining butterflies, bees, birds, and even beneficial predators.
By doing some or all of these ideas you can become part of the solution. We would also love to help you create a beautiful, natural landscape that helps our local pollinators and animals. Schedule a free consultation with our team at Naturescapes today!
