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Pollinator gardens are an excellent option to effectively increase the presence and the effect that pollinators such as bees, birds, and bats can have on the local ecosystem. Pollinator gardens can be planted relatively cheaply with native perennial plants that not only draw in pollinators to increase the overall health of horticultural/agricultural systems, but they look aesthetically pleasing while doing so. With a wealth of perennial plants/trees/shrubs native to the state of Michigan, the options are nearly endless to design a garden to suit both your pollinator needs and your unique style. Pollinator gardens can be designed to target specific species of plants or animals or they can be broadly beneficial and open to all kinds of potential pollinators.
Example 1: Pollinator Garden for Birds
Example 1: Pollinator Garden for Birds
Birds are an often forgotten member of the pollinator community, but with bright, sweet smelling flowers such as weigela and irises, hummingbirds, sunbirds, and spider creepers will be drawn in droves. Adding smaller, non-organic features to these gardens such as bird baths, fountains, and feeders will also help draw in potential pollinator birds as well as add to the aesthetic beauty of the garden.
Bird pollinator gardens can be packed with many different species of plants from flowers to shrubs to even herbs and fruit plants. They can also be packed fairly dense, and if the cover is dense enough, many breeds of potential pollinator birds will nest in these gardens year after year. As these pollinator birds begin to suck the nectar from these sweet flowers and fly to others, the pollen will become trapped on their feet, feathers, and wings, spreading it to each and every plant that they subsequently visit, making birds extremely effective at pollination.
Example 2: Pollinator Garden for Bats
Example 2: Pollinator Garden for Bats
Bats are, no pun intended, a whole different animal when it comes to pollination. Often thought of as pests more so than pollinators, bats offer such a service to the modern garden or field. Not only do they eat insects that can potentially damage plants such as viburnum leaf beetle, aphids, and Japanese beetles, they can also help pollinate many species of plants that can be difficult to keep alive year after year, especially in the Midwest.
If you are akin to raising plants that are extremely fragrant, beautiful, and even delicious but are difficult to keep alive in the temperamental Midwest climate, adding some more native plants to your garden could be just what you need to increase the yield and overall health to your garden. Large hanging plants such as evening primrose and purple fleabane will draw bats in with their sweet scent, and nectar and plants in the phlox family will attract large amounts of insects for the bats to eat on a nightly basis. Planting some of these more common, native perennials will allow for bats to come and help pollinate and maintain some of the rarer plants you may have on your property such as peonies, Gabriel's trumpet, or blooming cacti. Adding large, woody trees such as sugar maple or swamp white oak trees to your property would also provide bats with areas to rest during the day and keep them around almost full time.
Example 3: Pollinator Garden for Bees and Butterflies
Example 3: Pollinator Garden for Bees and Butterflies
The most commonly thought of examples of pollinators are bees and butterflies, especially in the Midwest. With countless species of bees and dozens of species of butterflies native to the area, they tend to frequent gardens for their sweet flowers, bright colors, and abundance of pollen. With large trees around, bees can form major hives that can hold hundreds of bees with the potential to pollinate thousands upon thousands of acres worth of land, increasing yield and overall ecosystem health by an exponential degree.
Bee/butterfly-based pollinator gardens are relatively easy to construct and maintain. They can be constructed with many different species of plants, many of which are very resilient, beautiful, and easy to maintain. One would want to focus on brightly-colored, sweet smelling flowers which would draw in the most insects such as daylilies, milkweed, and coneflowers. These plants are all native to the midwestern states and can be planted in great density and allow for many intricate designs that are aesthetically appealing as well. Several herb varietals such as basil, lavender, and saffron plants also attract many different types of butterflies such as monarchs, swallowtails, and viceroys. With the right combination of plants, a multitude of pollinators will be present, allowing for the most possible species of plants and crops to be subsequently pollinated throughout the growing season.
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