You don’t have to be a gardener to know the fact that pollinators are getting rare. Every year we see less and less of these plant-loving animals such as hummingbird, bees, and those million types of adorable plant-helping insects. Environmental scientists believe that the pollinator decline is due to climate changes and habitat loss. This article discuss landscaping ideas for your garden to turn it into a safe zone for pollinators.
It is proven that many plants in our garden have little to no value to pollinators.This article is about making a pollinator garden and bee-friendly landscape. We will see how change in practice and plant selection can turn your backyard garden into a home for pollinators.
Let’s Begin
Follow these tips or discuss it with your landscape service providers to make a pollinator-friendly yard.
Spray at The Right Time
Spraying plants with chemicals have fewer benefits and more trouble. Majority of bugs that roam your garden are beneficial or at least not harmful to your plants. Maybe caterpillars are the ones making holes in your plant leaves. To bring pollinators to your garden, you should reduce or knock-off spraying insecticide. If you must spray, pick a right time for that i.e. when pollinators are inactive. This is usually before early morning or after the sun is down.
Get Rid of Invasive Weeds
Not all green is good. To bring back pollinators, you need to revamp your landscape by getting rid of invasive plants. Normally honeysuckle, sweet acacia, mile-a-minute, rubber vine is considered invasive species and pollinators have no interest in them.
Bring Back Natives
Pollinators thrive on native plants. Every place has a list of native plants that grow there. And the amazing thing is, almost all natives are bee-friendly plants. In Sydney, a few examples of native flowering shrubs are Desert Flame, Grevillea and Pink Rock Lily, etc.
Growing shrubs and smalls trees such as White Wattle, Hop Goodenia, Finger Hakea can help your little pollinators. These plants sit seamlessly with your landscape plants. On the other hand, some non-native plants are also useful to pollinators. Some of the bee-friendly plants are Catmint, Lavender, Salvia, Daisies, and Zinnias.
Bring Diversity
Pollinators will look for other places if you don’t have anything blooming in your yard. Mix all types of plants so there is always something in bloom from spring through next fall. This way your landscape will be colorful all years.
Add A Pond
This is the best landscaping idea to bring back pollinators. A pond adds value to your landscape and creates a nice little ecosystem. Pollinators love plants that grow near water. Water also warm the surrounding area and many species make it their home. Read this blog to learn more about garden ponds.
Related: Why a Small Outdoor Pond is Good for your Landscape?
Provide a Shelter
This is optional but many people find this tactic useful for inviting pollinators. You can protect pollinator-friendly plants by adding a retaining wall or a windbreak planting of strong shrubs around the flora. Butterflies and small insects work great when the environment is calm. A cover will give them a nice safe place to do their pollination work.
Be Creative with Plant Layouts
People have a wrong idea about pollinator garden. It doesn’t have to look like a meadow or a messy jungle full of bugs. As discussed above, you only need to add a few native plants to start the process. The trick here is to mix them well with your landscaping plants.
Afterthoughts
These were some landscaping ideas for inviting pollinators. They play a crucial part in creating habitats and ecosystems that most of us rely on every day. It’s a fact that worldwide, 50% of fats and oils for food comes from crops pollinated by pollinators. Not to forget that these bugs are behind reproduction in 90% of the flowering plants.
Learn More Landscaping Ideas?
We tried our best to highlight points that can help the pollinators. Other than writing helpful blogs on gardening we can also provide landscaping services in Australia. We can give you a piece of nice advice about anything related to gardening.
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