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How to Garden for Pollinators
Plant Native Plants
From Native Plant Nurseries
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Indigenous, locally grown, pesticide-free plants provide safe nectar and pollen that native pollinators can use more efficiently, since they have coevolved.
PollinatorGarden.ca offers a wide variety of native perennial flowers, shrubs, trees and grasses for pickup in the Bluffs or delivery.
Provide
Continuous Flowering
From Spring to Fall
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It is very important to provide continuous access to nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies. The safest way to achieve this is to intentionally plant native flowers, shrubs, and trees that flower early in Spring and late in Fall along with our well-known Summer flowers.
Add Larval
Host Plants
For Caterpillars
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The larvae of butterflies are often very picky eaters and can only eat and survive on one species or family of plants. E.g., monarch butterfly caterpillars can eat only milkweed, and black swallowtail larvae feed on closely related plants like dill, carrot, celery, Queen Anne's lace and the native golden Alexander.
Provide Nesting Sites
For our Wild Bees
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All native bees, besides bumblebees, are solitary and make their nest in the ground or in cavities. This means leaving some soil in sunny areas uncovered and undisturbed is crucial for their survival. These areas can not be covered with mulch, gravel or artificial turf. The soil should not be disturbed, such as by tilling. When it rains, these areas can become muddy and can serve as building material for bees and birds.
Keep Overwintering Sites
For Native Bees and Butterflies
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One-third of native bees nest in dry or rotting wood. Raspberry stalks are among their favourite nesting sites. Keep the stems on all the plants until spring. If you have to prune, keep hollow cut stems in a standing position.
Fallen branches and all other stems can be stacked up into a pile. Bees will use them over winter and vacate them by June. That's when you can safely put them in the yard waste.
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Alternatively, leave them in the pile to create a permanent bug hotel.
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Adult butterflies hibernate, and chrysalis overwinter in logs and loose bark.
Avoid Disturbance of the Soil
70% of bees nest in the soil as ground-nesting bees. Therefore, it is important to avoid disturbing the soil. Digging and tilling should be avoided. Remove weeds by hand, and just cut annual weeds before they go to seed. This method keeps dormant weed seeds buried in the soil so they don't get a chance to germinate. This is the only way to dramatically reduce weeds in the long run and therefore practised by the city and botanical gardens.
Control Invasive
Species
In Our Gardens and Parks
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Invasive plants often outcompete native species. Since they disrupt the food chain, they can cause total collapse and the eradication of native ecosystems. This includes necessary fungi and bacteria in the soil, as well as insects, birds, and mammals. Across Toronto, we struggle with dog strangling vine, which is extremely aggressive. It tricks monarch butterflies into laying eggs on it, even though the caterpillars cannot eat it. Therefore, it is important to identify invasive plants and learn how to eradicate them from our gardens and communities. Unfortunately, also the parks around the Bluffs suffer extensively from invasive species.
Even the honey bee is non-native and can outcompete our wild bees if nectar sources are scarce. They also can threaten the health of native bees by transmitting diseases that circulate in big numbers in a hive.
Never use Pesticides
Herbicides, Insecticides or Bt
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Pesticides and herbicides don't exclusively kill unwanted bugs and weeds. They kill everything from butterfly eggs to beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria. When we use any chemicals, we destroy the incredibly complex balance that nature provides to heal and perpetuate itself.
Unfortunately, many plants and seeds sold in garden centres are still treated with neonicotinoids, which are pesticides affecting the nervous system of all insects, resulting in paralysis and death.
Unfortunately, even the natural house remedies or even water blasting will destroy all insects, including their eggs and larvae. By growing a variety of native plants, insect predators will achieve a balance.
Provide a Water Source
Bees and Butterflies need safe water sources.
Bees need a very shallow saucer with sticks and stones as landing areas that allow safe access to water. They can drown easily if they can't hold onto something. Mud patches are also excellent for bees and butterflies to hydrate and get minerals.
To avoid mosquitoes, the water needs to be changed regularly.
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Provide a Sunny Spot
for butterflies to bask in the sun
Butterflies love sunny places because they are cold-blooded
and need to warm up their bodies in order to fly.
Help butterflies collect nectar throughout the day by growing nectar-rich plants in various spots that receive sun at different times of the day.
Provide stones in sunny areas where butterflies can rest and recharge.
Retire your
Leaf Blower
Leaf Blowers are so powerful that they kill beneficial insects at all stages of life. Eggs, larvae, pupae, caterpillars and adult insects can't survive the cleanup.
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Mow your lawn as little as possible.
Keep plates at the highest setting to give ground-nesting bees a chance.
