Pollinator Week is June 18 to 24! Leading up to and throughout the week, we’ll be sharing posts about how you can support the pollinators that help our gardens grow! To learn more, visit www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week.
Did you know that 1 out of 3 bites of food that you eat each day is possible because of pollinators? Bees, butterflies, and other garden helpers do a lot for us, but they are at a critical point in their own survival. How can we help them?
One way is to take part in the National Pollinator Garden Network’s Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. Get your school, business, and family involved! Your contribution doesn’t need to be big – even a small window box works. Then add a picture of your garden to the challenge map! We would love to see a picture of your garden, too. Post it to social media using #pollinatorweek and tag Martin’s Home & Garden!
Planting Your Pollinator Garden
Your pollinator garden should:
- Include plants that provide nectar and pollen
- Have plants clustered in “pollinator targets”
- Have blooms continuously throughout the growing season
- Minimize or eliminate pesticides
- Provide a water source
Not sure exactly what to include? Try building some bee hotels and look for these native plants:
- Elderberry
- Geraniums
- Petunias
- Aster
- Maple trees
- Honeysuckle
We’ll be posting more plant ideas later on, so keep your eye on our blog. You can also start learning more on the Pollinator Partnership website.
Martin’s Home & Garden is excited to help our pollinating friends, and we hope that you’ll join us!