Building a pollinator habitat garden is one part blood, sweat and tears…well not a lot of blood, or tears, but you get the picture.
Maybe better described as one part good soil, good planning of colour and three-season choices of plants. A knowledge about what the various “pollinators” require for food, reproduction and over-wintering in your garden is also high on the list of “how to”.
Successful habitats are an art and the ‘artist’ who designed our little corner of nature is Kelly Masterson. We are extremely lucky to have someone who not only practices proper garden management but who is a greenhouse technician and avid apiarist.
We began with a garden that has been managed by the Thorold Horticulture Society on the library grounds. For many years our members have weeded, watered, planted and taken care of this garden. This year we expanded two patches into one and added soils, manure and fabric to ‘create’ a larger area. We then set about choosing which plants, colours and variety to provide a year round habitat attractive to and fostering an environment to attract pollinators.
Two “Bee Houses” were donated by “WEE BEE HOUSE” for use of Mason and Leaf cutter Bees and are pictured in our photo display.
Three old logs stumps were drilled with differing sized holes, for insects to use over the winter months, and placed strategically within the garden perimeter.
A sign was erected designating the garden as a “Pollinator Habitat” and decorative plant markers identify the new plants chosen to attract more pollinators.
A discussion was planned at the Thorold Library during Garden Ontario Week to explain to those interested the process of selection and building a good habitat using species native to our particular area of Southern Ontario.