You learned that plants have different bloom periods: spring, summer and fall. But what about winter? During this season, your pollinator garden will be dormant. But this doesn’t mean all your pollinator friends have left! Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, beetles and flies each have their own ways of getting through the winter. You can help them wait for warmer weather by following this rule: less is more.
Click through each slide to learn how to winterize your pollinator garden.
Don’t pick up fallen leaves; leaves provide nutrients, insulation and protective covering.
Leave some soil uncovered to host ground-nesting pollinators.
Select early and late blooming plants that will provide food as early in spring and as late in fall as possible.
Grow plants in clusters so food is easy to find for pollinators.
Don’t prune or snip stems until late spring; these provide nesting sites.
Don’t move logs, dead trees or stumps as they attract insects and winter birds.
