With the concern for the decline in pollinators, many homeowners and business owners are installing butterfly or bee gardens to help. In fact, cities in Minnesota are encouraging their residents to create sustainable and eco-friendly yard spaces. This can range from something simple, like purchasing a rain barrel. Larger projects may require you to rethink the design of your yard. Typically, this means adding in areas where more native plants can grow. If done correctly, it can encourage insects like butterflies or bees to your gardens.
It’s important to take all of the elements of your yard into account when adding a garden to your yard. Are you trying to create a focal point for your front yard? Or are you looking for creative ways to border your sidewalks, deck areas or edges of your yard? If these are questions you need help with, All Metro has design experts available to help you. Ongoing training is important to us and so are all the current trends and designs. That means we are able to help make your garden look its best! We help our clients decide things like if a raised garden or flat garden is best for your area. And, what kind of edging will fit best with the overall design of your yard? And, we can implement what you are trying to achieve overall.
Ultimately, the placement of your garden is your final decision. If designing a butterfly or bee garden is important to you, there are some factors to take into account. Insects are cold blooded. So, place your garden in a sunny area to help the insects move around better. This encourages more pollination between your plants. Insects also need water! Install a water feature in your garden to not only encourage insects to come and stay but to create a great focal point.
The main goal is to plant a variety of plants that keep your garden in bloom throughout the whole season. This encourages a steady supply of nectar in your butterfly or bee garden. Typically, native plants are the best source of food for bees and butterflies and are easier to care for. Look for native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees in your area to help add variation to the plants that you decide on. Our landscaping experts are experienced in this area and will help assist you with what plants are best suited for your area.
As an added benefit, native plants are more adaptable to your climate and require less care and maintenance than flowers and plants that are not. This means that typically, your garden will not need to be watered or fertilized, and will be less weedy.
It’s important to note that some bugs are okay for your plants to grow and thrive. If you find they damage more than 10% of your plant, then take action to prevent further damage. While chemicals are commonly used in gardens, they should not be used in butterfly or bee gardens. Pesticides, in particular, are strongly suggested to be avoided as they will decrease the pollen and nectar sources and potentially harm the insects. If bad bugs are a problem in your garden, simply spray the plants with water or make (or buy) a non-toxic concoction to help.