Planting pollinator attracting flowers and host plants will help your cultivars thrive! Pollinators are going to favour flowers that will feed them properly, and they have evolved to be friends with our native plants. Because of this, planting native plants amongst your cultivars will increase seed yield, overall pollination, and can also attract beneficial insects that eat our plant pest foes.
This is actually something many farmers practice in order to help their crops, be it food or flowers. Monocrops aren’t good for anyone or anything so planting native species amongst crops and cultivar flower beds can make a massive difference in pollinator populations.
When you plant native plants you are:
- Increasing biodiversity
- Decreasing soil disturbances/tilling which can lead to weeds taking over your garden
- Increased food diversity for local pollinators and beneficial insects
- Creates homes for local pollinators and beneficial insects
- Create established roots systems that aid in replenishing the soil and preventing erosion/flooding.
Whether you are planting a perennial cottage style garden, or you prefer annuals to change out every year, dispersing native flowers in your garden will give you a better yield in flower and seed productions, as well as decrease pests around your cultivars.
Working with your local soil and pollinators will give you the best gardening results, as opposed to working against them. You live where you live, feed your neighbourhood insects and they will take care of your garden for you.
My favourite native plants for my garden are:
Common, River and Butterfly milkweeds
Borage
Prairie Smoke
Blue Lobelia
Wild Bergamot
Wild Geranium
Switchgrass
Calico and New England Asters
Goldenrod
Sweet Everlasting
Some of these native plants are available at the shop or online for purchase! And you can still plant them during the colder fall months, which will help them establish over the winter and give you thriving growth in the spring.
Photo by amy lynn grover on Unsplash