Pacifica’s Pollinator Garden
Pollinators need our help! Pollinators of all kinds are declining due to habitat loss, disease, and excessive and inappropriate use of pesticides. Pacifica’s Pollinator Garden, located in the grassy field between the Cedar Center and Friendship Pond, houses dozens of species of flowers and other plants that provide critical resources and habitat for many species of local pollinators. Interpretive signs along the garden’s edge offer visitors a myriad of information on different pollinators, their needs, and their place in the ecosystem.
For information on types of plants found in the Pollinator Garden (or to plant in your own!), and which pollinators they support, you may view or download our reference guide from the link below.
Learn how to create a garden that’s helpful for pollinators!
Include Plants for Pollinators (especially natives)
Choose a variety of colors and shapes in your landscape that will attract and satisfy a variety of pollinators (including milkweed for Monarch Butterflies). Choose plants that bloom at different times, especially in fall, to provide nectar and pollen sources through the growing season. Plant in groups or clumps, rather than single plants.
Make Water Available
Many insects drink by drawing liquid out of sand with their proboscis. Provide a clean water source by filling a shallow bowl with wet soil, sprinkled with a bit of sea-salt for minerals. Make sure that your vessel has rocks above water to stand on, and shallow sides that insects can climb up. You might also offer any overripe fruit in your kitchen, or a sponge soaked in “nectar” (¼ cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup of water).
Provide Habitat
Difference species require many different habitats for nesting and shelter. Include different canopy layers in your landscape: trees, shrubs, tall grasses, and low-growing plants. Leave dead snags, and patches of fallen branches, leaves, and bare ground. Many butterflies and other pollinators require specific kinds of plants on which to lay their eggs – check a list for pollinators in your area.
Limit Pesticide Use
Many pesticides are very harmful to bees and other pollinators (research suggests neonictinoids are especially so). Learn about and use Integrated Pest Management as an alternative for protecting your garden. Minimize or eliminate the use of pesticides as much as you are able.