Pollinators

Pollinators are very important to our environment and our food systems but their populations have been on a sharp decline. 

Planting a pollinator garden is a great way to help pollinator populations!

First, let's start with the basics. 

What is pollination?

Pollination occurs with angiosperms, flower bearing plants. It is the act of transferring pollen from the male part of the flower, the anther, to the female part of the flower, the stigma.

This is how the ovary of the plant is fertilized to create seeds to pass on their genetic information to future generations of plants.

Who are pollinators?

Animals and insects which transfer pollen from one plant to another are considered pollinators. This transfer is an unintended consequence of the pollinator passing by or visiting a flower. The pollen becomes attached and when they visit or pass another flower, the pollen is transferred. 

According to the Great Pollinator Project, bees account for 68 percent of visits to flowers in New York City parks and residential neighborhoods. Other pollinators important to NYC's urban landscape are flies, wasps, butterflies, beetles, various nocturnal pollinators, and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.1

Why are pollinators important?

According to the USDA, "Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. More than 3,500 species of native bees help increase crop yields. Some scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of animal pollinators like bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, and beetles and other insects."2

Why are pollinators on the decline?

Habitat loss is a major threat to all species. It is important to have a diversity of species to have a healthy working ecosystem. This is sometimes hard to come by in urban environments. The overuse of pesticides has had a large effect on populations. Pesticides are meant to kill off 'pest' insects but they do not discriminate and they kill off beneficial insects as well.

How can we help?

Plant a pollinator garden!

Here are a few tips for your pollinator garden:

• Choose native pollinator-friendly plants. Choosing native plants is very important because these are the plants that pollinators chose to visit. Years of evolution have made local species of plants and pollinators adapt to one another for mutual benefits. The plants provide food and habitat for the pollinators and the pollinators.. well they pollinate!
• Have a variety of plants. Diversity is key for a successful garden. Choosing plants with different blooming times will allow pollinators to visit all season long.
• Don't prune away all plant damage. It may be hard to leave that dead stem or branch but these damaged areas may provide habitat for butterfly and moth larvae. 
• Eliminate pesticide use as much as possible. Try incorporating  plants that will attract beneficial insects for pest control. For example, adult ladybugs can eat as many as 50 aphids per day. Each hatched ladybug larva will eat some 400 aphids before entering its pupal stage.3 They are attracted to flat white or yellow flowers such as yarrow, dill, or marigolds.

Here are some beautiful options for your garden:

Trees and Shrubs - These are great options because they provide pollen or nectar, or both, early in spring when food is scarce. 

Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, birds, and bees

Tulip popular, Liriodendron tulipifera

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, hummingbirds, and birds.

Lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, birds and bees. (And a yummy treat for humans!)

Staghorn sumac, Rhus typhina

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, birds and bees.

Herbs - The list goes on and on for beautiful flowering native herbs.

Black–eyed susan, Rudbeckia hirta

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, birds and bees.

Black raspberry, Rubus occidentalis 

Enjoyed by bees. (Another yummy treat for humans too!)

Blazing star, Liatris spicata

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, hummingbirds and birds. 

Common milkweed, Asclepias syrica

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, and bees.

These are just a few options of some beautiful pollinator plants for your garden. 

If you want a full list, a good resource for natives can be found at the Greenbelt Conservancy website. 

1 http://greatpollinatorproject.org/pollinators/

2 http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate/#sthash.k3F3g4w8.dpuf

3 http://www.finegardening.com/attracting-beneficial-insects

Garden Design Challenge: Bee Allergies

Recently, I encountered a project challenge that was entirely new to me – How do I design a garden for a client with a severe allergy to bee stings? First of all, the client understands that a 100% bee-free garden isn't possible unless we're talking about constructing some sort of bio-dome, and we're not. After doing some research I found that what we can do is design a garden space that is, shall we say, less alluring to bees. Normally, I design gardens that do quite the opposite by re-establishing and/or supporting native habitats – and pollinators (like bees) are a crucial part of that. But with some careful finagling I think it'll be possible to design a healthy, sustainable garden without attracting too many stingers.

How do we begin? We think like a bee.

So what makes a flower attractive to a bee? A few key characteristics:

• structure–easy access to nectar/pollen. Can the bee's body/proboscis reach the nectar? If the blossom is too long and narrow, no.

• scent–pretty straight forward. Most highly fragrant flowers have a lot of nectar - a big draw for bees - so it's something to consider when selecting plants for bee avoidance.

• color–blues and purples are easiest for bees to see, and therefore, especially attractive. Reds, on the other hand, looks black to a bee, so they generally ignore them. 

Now that we've got this information, some strategic choices can be made in selecting plants for the garden that won't attract bees, but will attract other important wildlife like hummingbirds and butterflies. 

Here's a list to get you started:

Cardinal flower – A great native flower that the butterflies and hummingbirds adore.

Red Coneflower – Double petal or classic, it's a gorgeous pop of color. 

Crocosmia –Not a native, but the hummingbirds still love it. 

Double-petal or "ball" Dahlias – The petals are too compact for most bees to get to their nectar, or they're sterilized. They come in a delightful array of colors. 

Penstemon– Another native, some bees won't be able to reach the nectar because of the shape of the flower.

Coreopsis "Mahogany Midget" – More reds, prolific bloomers. 

Gaillardia "Sundance Red" or "Arizona Red"– Native and also red, the butterflies are big fans. 

Feverfew– A nice non-red option, and bees are generally turned off by it's fragrance.

Columbine– Native or not, some bees struggle to reach the nectar because the flowers are facing downwards.

Ornamental grasses– Go to town with these guys. They're an important part of a healthy ecosystem, but the bees aren't interested

Ferns– Lush and lovely, they're great for you and of little interest to the bees. 

Want more info on all things bees? Check out the American Beekeeping Federation's website