How Residents Can Help

What is a pollinator? Pollinators are the creatures that pollinate flowers, anything that helps carry pollen.
The movement of pollen must occur for the plant to become fertilized and produce fruits, seeds and young plants. Some plants are self-pollinating, while others may be fertilized by pollen carried by wind or water. Pollinators are vital to creating and maintaining habitats and local ecosystems that many animals rely on for food and shelter. Over 75% of flowering plants require pollination, including many of the crops we depend on for food.

What is a pollinator garden? A pollinator garden is designed and planted with pollinators in mind, offering a variety of flowers and plants to promote visiting pollinators.

Planting pollinator friendly gardens

  • Choose native plants which will thrive without fertilizer and pesticides.
  • Choose nectar and pollen-rich flowers with a range of shape, sizes and colours to attract a variety of pollinators.
  • Have several different plants in bloom from early spring through late fall to maximize the effectiveness of your pollinator habitat.
  • Plant in drifts of at least three or more of one kind and keep same plants close together.

Some ways to support pollinators in your garden

  • Include pollinator-friendly plants in your garden with long bloom times over spring and summer (see list below). Choose a mix of plants that produce flowers of different shapes, sizes, and colours to attract many kinds of bees and butterflies. Even weeds like clover and dandelion are good. Try to add some native plants to encourage native bees.
  • Keep your garden pesticide-free.
  • Create nesting sites for bees – buy or build a mason bee house of nesting tubes. Leave open, unmulched areas in your garden because over 70 per cent of native bees nest in dry soil below ground.
  • Learn more about starting a pollinator garden and the plants suited to our region. Check out the many resources available online.

                          Native plants loved by pollinators


Douglas aster
Camas
Goldenrod
Nodding Onion
Sea blush
Common Yarrow
Western columbine
Mountain sneezeweed
Selfheal
Field chickweed
Pearly everlasting
Blue Eyed Mary
Wooly sunflower
Entire Leaved Gumweed
Western buttercup
Fireweed
Lupin



Try making a ...

Bee Hotel
Bee hotels, also called nests or houses, are a great way to attract pollinators to your family’s flower or vegetable garden. With bee populations declining, there has been a call for citizens to play their part by building bee hotels, man-made contraptions that act as a resting place for solitary pollinator bees, who may not produce honey, but still play a vital role in the growth of fruits and vegetables, plants and flowers.

Supplies

  • Container (like a large tin can or bucket)
  • Natural materials (e.g. Hollow plant reeds, cones, cardboard tubes, fallen sticks from local trees or bamboo sticks)
  • Paint or markers

Directions

  • Decorate your container with bright colours to attract bees to your bee hotel.
  • Pack the natural materials tight into the container.
  • Put your bee hotel in your yard to give these buzzing friends a wonderful place to rest.