Helpful tips for starting and maintaining a pollinator friendly garden
Pollinators in New Zealand and across the world are in serious decline if we don’t do something to help. There is a myriad of reasons why, including habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change.
We can help pollinator populations, and particularly our bumblebees, by planting pollinator friendly gardens and promoting floral and insect conservation and biodiversity.
A pollinator garden can be small or large – just choose whatever space you have.
Make a Pollinator Pocket
Develop a planting plan that suits your space and wants. A Pollinator pocket doesn’t have to be huge – anything is better than nothing! Pots on a balcony, an unused corner of your garden or in your veggie garden. There are countless possibilities – just plant and then sit back and enjoy the show!
Stems and Leaves
Dead stems and leaf litter provide shelter and food for beneficial soil invertebrates over the winter. Some insects also use dead wood, undisturbed soil and tree cavities for nesting.
Bees Love the Weeds!
Clover, dandelions, thistles and other ‘weeds’ provide quick, year-round food for lots of pollinators. These are especially important in early spring when bumblebees are waking from hibernation.
Pollinator friendly gardens are also people friendly gardens
Plant what brings you joy! The best elements we can provide for pollinators are food, water and shelter. Food for pollinators is generally provided by flower pollen and nectar. Look for plants that go to seed – there will be no pollen and nectar in F1 hybrid flowers! Plant in clumps with colours and species together. Leave space between clumps to provide shelter from the wind.
Many native plants attract a great diversity of pollinators and generally require less water and fertilizer. And of course, avoid pesticides. Make your pollinator garden a pesticide free zone, Use integrated pest management instead of pesticides and herbicides.
Just imagine …… your dining table without delicious fruits like apples, tomatoes and
peaches, or delectable vegetables like pumpkins, beans and courgettes. Flowering plants and their associated pollinators are responsible for the vast majority of our food crops – one out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat are reliant on them! Pollinators are also crucial, directly or indirectly, to the production of many medicines, fibers and dyes.
Here are some good plants for bumblebees and other pollinators
NZ Natives | Herbs | Perennials |
Hebe | Borage, Chives | Foxgloves, Echinacea |
Manuka | Lavender, Thyme | Salvias, Anise hyssop |
Kowhai | Bergamont Beebalm | Lupins, Russian Sage |
Pohutukawa | Marjoram | Hollyhock |
NZ Flax Harakeke | Rosemary | Dahlias |
Lacebark Hoheria | Echinacea | Sedum Autumn Joy |
Fruit & Veggies | Annuals | Shrubs |
Tomatoes | Alyssum, Buckwheat | Azaleas, Rhododendrons |
Beans, Broad beans, Peas | Poppies, Echium | Lavender, Callistemon |
Strawberries | Sunflowers, Cornflowers | Ceonothus, Grevellia |
Apples, pears, plums | Linaria, Snapdragons | Lonicera Honeysuckle |
Cherries | Nasturtium, Lacy Phacelia | Viburnum spp |
Courgettes,Blueberries | Calendula English Marigold | Buddleia Butterfly bush |
Squash family | Wildflower Mixes | Old fashioned Roses |
Avoid highly hybridized flowers. These plants are often bred for colour, size, and shape, which can come at the expense of nectar and pollen production. Many modern hybrid roses, for instance, have been bred for their large, showy blooms and fragrance, but they lack the rich nectar and pollen that bees need. Similarly, hybrid petunias and pansies may look striking but offer little in the way of bee-friendly resources.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not!”
Dr Seuss
Many thanks to the University of Otago
NZ Bumblebee Conservation Trust
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