Bee a Friend: How to Create the Ultimate Pollinator Garden for Ohio Pollinators
Ohio’s pollinators need our help! So, we’re doing a special “Bee a Friend” series so you can learn how to help pollinators and bring pollinators to your Ohio garden.
In our first post, “What to Plant to Help Ohio’s Pollinators,” we explained who Ohio’s pollinators are and we gave you some fun flowers to plant to support pollinators. In our second post, “Native Plants to Help Ohio’s Pollinators,” we gave you some suggestions on what native Ohio plants you can add to your garden to help pollinators. For this post, we’re going to discuss how to make the ultimate pollinator garden.
What is a pollinator garden?
A pollinator garden is an ecosystem and garden design that provides pollinators with three vital elements: food, water, and shelter. You can use our previous two posts in this series to learn more about what food to provide pollinators in Ohio. Now, let’s talk about water and shelter for pollinators.
Water Source
To create a water source for pollinators, fill a shallow bowl, fountain, or bird bath with water so that pollinators can stop by and grab a drink. This is particularly important during Ohio’s hot summer months.
Get as creative as you want with your water sources! Consider creating a water lily pond or pick out a water feature from a local Ohio garden center like Timbuk Farms. Treat the water feature as an opportunity to flex your creative muscles.
Shelter
Pollinators need safe places to make homes, stay hidden from predators, and breed. They also need shelter during Ohio’s harsh winters. Luckily, you can create pollinator shelters by doing the following.
Build a woodpile.
Wool carder bees, leaf cutter bees, and red mason bees build their nests in old wood. So, building woodpiles gives these important pollinators safe places to thrive and dry places to nestle in during Ohio’s winters. You can also simply leave old stumps and logs in your garden to provide these pollinators with shelters.
Leave the leaves alone.
Leaves provide pollinators, such as Luna moths, hoverflies, and beetles, with protection and camouflage. Leaves can also help pollinators overwinter successfully.
Leave some soil uncovered.
Although you should leave some leaves for pollinators, you should also have areas of bare ground in your garden. This enables ground-nesting pollinators, such as bumblebees, to stay warm because the sun hits the bare ground and warms the bumblebee nest beneath the dirt.
Build a pollinator house.
Think of a pollinator house as a birdhouse, but for insects. Pollinator houses often have numerous small holes for pollinators to live in and find shelter from the winter. You can make your own pollinator house or buy one from an Ohio garden center.
What should you avoid in a pollinator garden?
In addition to providing pollinators with food, water, and shelter, you can help pollinators by avoiding harmful chemicals in your Ohio garden. Some of the most harmful chemicals are neonicotinoids and sulfoxaflor–both of which are found in some widely-used pesticides. These chemicals can be lethal to honey bees, bumblebees, and other pollinators. Some researchers even think that these chemicals are a significant cause for the pollinator population decrease around the world.
When choosing a pesticide for your garden, be sure to avoid any product that has neonicotinoids or sulfoxaflor. These chemicals may be listed as imidacloprid, clothianidin, or thiamethoxam. If you need help finding a pollinator-friendly pesticide, then feel free to give us a call at Timbuk Farms, and we’ll be happy to guide you to pollinator-safe products
Need Help, Gardening Supplies, or Plants?
If you’re looking for an Ohio garden center that has healthy plants, pollinator-friendly flowers, and pollinator-friendly gardening supplies, then stop by Timbuk Farm’s Garden Center to check out our Pollinator Café or send us a message. We’re a family-owned business and we grow everything locally right here in Ohio. We know Ohio gardening, and our garden experts are happy to answer any questions about how to help local pollinators and how to make the most out of your central Ohio garden.
