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March 9, 2021

Ideas For Creating A Thriving Pollinator Garden

brent-becky-bulb-blog-headerbrent and becky plant a pollinator garden bees butterflies milkweed agastache

A pollinator garden is an oasis for butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other beneficial bugs that transport pollen from one plant to another. While all flowers are beautiful, some are particularly attractive to our pollinator friends, and it is just as important to us as it is to them to make sure they can do their jobs properly. Hoping to plant a pollinator garden this year? You’ve come to the right place! Read on for our comprehensive pollinator garden guide. 

There are so many beautiful plants to choose from, you’ll love to admire them as much as the pollinators will love to visit!

brent and becky plant a pollinator garden cottage style garden flowers

How To Start A Pollinator Garden

If you are just hoping to add some pollinator-friendly plants to your existing garden, the best way to go about this is by marking vacant spots in your garden at the end of the summer so you can plant the following spring without disturbing any existing root bulbs. But, if you’re on the hunt for ideas to plan an entirely new pollinator garden, we’ve got a few basic suggestions to help you make it as successful as possible. 

Choose a sunny location. There are some plant varieties that we consider shade tolerant, but overall, most plants bloom better in the sun than in the shade, and plant that attract pollinators are no exception. 

brent and becky plant a pollinator garden hummingbird red flower

Consider all the different pollinators. Most of us gravitate to honey bees and monarch butterflies when we think about pollinators, but there are a few more to keep in mind when making your plant selections. There are hundreds of different varieties of bees, hundreds of different varieties of butterflies, hummingbirds, night pollinators (moths, for the most part), and even some kinds of beetles, which will all benefit from your pollinator garden.

Give your new plants an extra boost. In addition to light considerations, you’ll also want to make sure your soil is in good shape to help your new plants grow. Amending your soil with compost will give it a little more life and support the overall biome of your garden. Supporting additives like fish emulsion and kelp will also give your new plants an extra boost. Fish emulsion has lots of important minerals and nutrients to help your plants thrive, and kelp helps plants establish their roots quickly, which is an important part of the growing process. 

Water consistently, but not too frequently. If you are planting in the midst of a dry spell and don’t have Mother Nature’s rain to take care of the watering process for you, it’s important to water consistently (at least once a week) but not too frequently. Watering your plants every day will, in essence, drown them a little bit. They need air in the soil to truly thrive! 

brent and becky plant a pollinator garden bees butterflies on lavender

Plant in multiples! Rather than just planting one of each plant variety, try planting around 3 to 5 of each. This will make it more attractive to pollinators because once they find one, they can then continue onto the next and don’t have to head off looking for a new supply as soon as they get there. 

Plant your garden sequentially. Make sure you are selecting a few different varieties that will allow your garden to have early bloomers, mid-season bloomers, and late summer or fall bloomers. This way, you will always have something available for those beautiful butterflies and bees to visit! 

brent and becky plant a pollinator garden agastache with butterflies

What Should I Plant In My Pollinator Garden?

There are so many beautiful plants to choose from that you will love looking at as much as pollinators will love to visit. We have listed just a few of our favorites to get you started, but be sure to check out our catalogue either in print or online for many more. All pollinator-friendly plants are listed with a little butterfly next to them. 

Agastache is a beautiful plant that butterflies are certain to flock to in your new pollinator garden. It is part of the mint family, and while many varieties of the mint family tend to spread, Agastache is a clumper. This means it will generally not extend beyond where it is planted. It has beautiful flowers that come in a lovely blue, a sort of orangey-pink tone, and even a bright pink variation. Its leaves have a distinct kind of licorice-like fragrance to them when crushed, and this beauty will not just attract butterflies. The hummingbirds love it as well thanks to its long, tubular flower. 

brent and becky plant a pollinator garden butterflies on yellow milkweed

Asclepias, more commonly known as Milkweed, will bring all the monarchs to the yard! This pollinator-friendly plant does double duty in that it is not just the pollen that attracts these beneficial critters. It is also quite valuable to insects, like monarch butterflies, who use it as larval food. Cinderella (or Swamp Milkweed) also has the added benefit of being able to grow in wet spots. 

Single-flowered Dahlias are also wonderful pollinators. These are some of those options that will contribute well to your pollinator garden as a late-season bloomer. Just remember to select a single-flowered variety, as the doubles often have mutations that are not terribly valuable to pollinators. 

brent and becky plant a pollinator garden liatris spicata

Liatris Spicata, or Blazing Star, is native to Virginia, and it’s a true butterfly magnet. The flowers and foliage can vary from species to species, but this beautiful bloom is well known for its fluffy purple flower clusters. It also has an interesting feature in that it starts blooming at the top of the stem, whereas most plants start blooming at the bottom of the stem and work their way up. 

Many pollinators are currently in crisis due to habitat loss, overuse of chemical pesticides, and more. By doing your part in making your yard pollinator-friendly, you’ll reap the benefits of a beautiful garden and be helping the planet as a whole. 

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Additional Shipping

Additional shipping charges for orders sent to locations West of the Rocky Mountains after Oct. 25th.  Orders shipped West of the Rocky Mountains after Oct. 25th have a possibility of freezing in transit.  In order to eliminate that possibility, 3rd Day Shipping is required.  This chart shows how much extra shipping will be added to your if the order is being sent after Oct. 25th.  Please note that the charges are determined first by the state and then by the number of bulbs being ordered.  Please check the chart to determine if you will be charged an additional amount.  For example:  Select the state where the bulbs will be shipped (i.e. CA).  Count the number of  bulbs being ordered (100  daffodils, 100 tulips, 100 crocus and 10 hippeastrum would equal 310 bulbs).  The additional shipping charge for 310  bulbs to CA after Oct. 25th would equal $49.00. 

Any shipments being sent to AK or HI are charged actual cost of UPS or FDX 2nd Day Air; $15 minimum.  This cost is unknown until after the order has shipped.

State 300 TO 499 Bulbs 500+Bulbs
AK cost after shipment cost after shipment
AZ $49.00 cost after shipment
CA $50.00 cost after shipment
HI cost after shipment cost after shipment
ID $49.00 cost after shipment
MT $49.00 cost after shipment
NV $49.00 cost after shipment
NM $45.00 cost after shipment
ND $45.00 cost after shipment
OR $50.00 cost after shipment
SD $45.00 cost after shipment
UT $49.00 cost after shipment
WA $50.00 cost after shipment

Live plant shipping cost

Live Plant Shipping Information:  Live plants require special shipping status to make it from us to you in good condition.  All plants must be shipped 3rd Day Select by UPS or FedEx to ensure that they are ready to go into your garden when you receive them.  This chart shows how much extra shipping will be added to your order when ordering live plants.  Any shipments being sent to AK or HI are charged actual cost of UPS/FedEX 2nd Day Air: $15 minimum.  This cost is unknown until after the order has shipped.

Example for calculating shipping:  Select the state we will be shipping to, ie. CA;  count the quantity of plants you are ordering, ie, 4; the additional shipping charge for 4 plants being shipped to CA would equal $15.00.

State with extra charge 1 or 2 plants 3 to 5 plants 6+ plants
AK cost after shipment cost after shipment cost after shipment
AZ $6.50 $14.00 $24.00
CA $7.00 $15.00 $25.00
CO $6.50 $14.00 $24.00
HI cost after shipment cost after shipment cost after shipment
ID $6.50 $14.00 $24.00
MT $6.00 $12.50 $22.00
NE $7.00 $15.00 $25.00
NV $6.50 $14.00 $24.00
NM $6.50 $14.00 $24.00
ND $5.50 $12.00 $21.00
OR $6.50 $14.00 $24.00
SD $7.00 $15.00 $25.00
UT $6.50 $14.00 $24.00
WA $7.00 $15.00 $25.00
WY $6.50 $14.00 $24.00
PUERTO RICO $7.00 $15.00 $25.00