I envision transforming our alleys into Pollinator Places, Butterfly Blvds and Ladybug Lanes. Keep in mind that I’m partial to narwhals. And unicorns. And yes, mermaids. But there are some real reasons to support our pollinators with native plants.
Let’s take a moment to meet and acknowledge our astounding, hardworking pollinators: ladybugs, butterflies, native bees, moths and hummingbirds. Hello, my beauties, thank you for all of your work. Pollinators silently do an astonishing amount of work that we benefit greatly from. (Please know, most bees will avoid stinging and use that behavior only in self-defense. Male bees do not sting.) For one, many fruits and vegetables would not be available if it weren’t for pollinators. Pollinators bring us one out of every three bites of food. Somewhere between 75% and 95% of all flowering plants on the earth need help with pollination. We call bees and other pollinators keystone species because they are species upon which others depend, humans included. Pollinators also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce. More pollinators mean more seeds produced, which in turn grow into more plants. These green plants remove carbon dioxide from the air and keep our rivers and lakes cleaner, as their roots stabilize the soil and prevent erosion along stream banks and flood plains. If plants are removed from this chain, because there are no pollinators to help them reproduce, the entire system is affected!
Native plants were the original flora that decorated this land. They define the aesthetics of the Midwest. It is our unique aesthetic and supporting it keeps us inextricably linked to the web of life. What an amazing garden was here before us - growing, flowering and fruiting. Alan Branhagen, a naturalist who specializes in native plants, defines the spirit of the Midwest as “ the blend between the verdant lush forests of the Appalachians on the east and the dry, short grasses of the Great Plains on the west. It lies below the cold boreal evergreen northern woods and above the great steamy southern swamps and pine lands. It s a land defined by a prevalence of open woods and savannas and tall grass prairie.”
Our incredible pollinators are in trouble and adding native plants to our gardens will help protect them. Habitat loss, introduced diseases, pollution and pesticide poisoning account for much of the population declines. Pesticides are largely toxic to pollinators. (Extreme caution is warranted if you choose to use any pesticide. Strategically apply pesticides only for problematic target species.)
Planting native wildflowers, prairie grasses, and ground covers by your home, creates a habitat for pollinators and preserves natural heritage. In turn, this increases pollination activity in your vegetable garden, resulting in increased yields. Natives create an easy-to-maintain landscape as they are less susceptible to pests and diseases, do well in existing soil, don’t require fertilizer, and can be tolerant to droughts.
Our Bexley alleys are open, underutilized spaces in our city. Why not use them to bolster and support our extraordinary and vulnerable pollinators while creating some low maintenance perennial beauties! This April marks the first Ohio Native Plant Month, and I for one am ready to embrace the new celebration by filling some of my yard and all of my alley space with pale purple, white and orange coneflowers, wild bergamot, asters, butterfly milkweed, hoary vervain. You can also choose black eyed susans, wild ginger, bee balm, blue flag iris, blue vervain, cardinal flower, marsh marigold, bee balm, ox eye sunflower, turtlehead, wild geranium, and wood poppy to name another possible bouquet. There are so many beautiful natives to choose from with varying heights, bloom times, light requirements and colors.
Milkweed is an especially important native to plant. Because of the current re-purposing of land for human use and the widespread use of pesticides, wild milkweed is disappearing from our landscape. If we lose the milkweed, we will also lose the Monarch butterfly. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed, and when they hatch, it's the only plant the caterpillars will eat. That's what makes it so crucial for helping the next generation hatch each season. With the declining monarch population, it's more important now than ever to do our part to help these pollinators rebound and support them during their astounding migration! Swamp Milkweed, Common Milkweed and Butterfly Weed are three varieties that do well in Ohio. You can find organizations that supply free milkweed seeds, which you can plant to help support monarchs, here.
When planning your garden, think about providing different shapes, sizes, and colors to attract a diversity of pollinator species. Plant them in large groups, so pollinators expend less energy while traveling from plant to plant while foraging. Also, be aware of the season in which your plants will bloom; plant flowers with varying dates so that you can provide a source of nectar from a multitude of plants from early spring to late fall. Asters are a wonderful addition to the garden, as they feed monarchs in late summer and early fall after many other flowers have stopped blooming.
Once you’ve decided on the plants you’d like in your yard, you will need to determine what sort of preparation they require, when they like to be sowed, how much sun they need, at what depth to plant, how far to space, how to thin and how to water. You can refer to the packet to provide some of this information and I list some book sources at the end of this post for you to refer to as well. As far as when to plant, some seeds can be planted before the final frost has passed but for most seeds, you will need to wait until later into spring when the final frost is behind us. The average last frost date in central Ohio is around April 29th. Many seeds do well when we start averaging 60-70 degree days.
You can start from seed or with established plants. Established plants will create your garden more quickly and with less effort. However, there are reasons to grow from seed. For one, it’s the most economical way to grow a garden. Personally, I find it exciting and fulfilling to experience this part of the lifecycle. Additionally, some plants do better if grown from seed as they don’t do well when transplanting to the garden. Keep in mind it takes some plants a couple growing seasons before the plants flower, if grown from seed.
While some seeds can be directly sowed, not all plant seeds are ready to sprout as soon as you put them in the soil and require some steps to help them germinate. Some hard-shelled seeds need a bit more coaxing and some need a temperature change (cold stratification) to trigger the end of dormancy. There are several different cold stratification methods, one of which can be found here. Other methods for working with seeds include scarification and water germination. Some seeds germinate best when directly sowed, some do well when soaked first, and some prefer to be started indoors and then hardened off before being moved outside to the garden. If the seeds require water germination, this means you need to allow the seeds to soak in water before planting. Scarification entails nicking seeds with the edge of a nail clipper, nail file, or knife, or you can sand through the seed coat with sandpaper. You can also make a very shallow cut on the seed to allow water to penetrate. Putting in a little extra effort to give your seed the support it needs will benefit you greatly in the long run!
If you’d like to be a gracious host to your busy guests and support them further, you can also offer shelter and water. For shelter, many insect pollinators lay their eggs in the hollow stems of plants, so ornamental grass stems can be a good source of nest sites. Native species of solitary bees often prefer to nest in bare ground or old wood. Consider leaving some unmulched, bare ground underneath low growing shrubs or fallen tree limbs in out of the way areas to provide a habitat for these species. I have a small area on the west side of my house that doesn’t get enough sun to grow where I plan to create a pollinator living area. You can also buy or make a “house” specifically for your bees. Replacing your house each season will keep it disease free, and ensure healthy pollinators return to your garden year after year. Help your pollinators stay hydrated by keeping a shallow dish filled with water and small rocks or sticks in your yard, out of direct sunlight. This set up allows them to perch on the rocks and sip water without falling in and is too shallow for mosquitoes to lay eggs in. Maintain a fresh, clean supply of water.
You have many options for getting native seeds, and we encourage you to pick the most sustainable option available to you. First and foremost, consider asking other gardeners for unused seeds- there’s no reason to waste perfectly good seeds. Local gardening groups on Facebook are a great source for this, including Green Bexley Parents. Once you’ve tapped all of your friends, DeMonyes and Oakland Nursery both offer curbside pickup locally. Additionally, high quality native seeds can be found at prairiefrontier.com/ and opnseed.com/. If you find yourself with extra seeds, please let your friends and neighbors know.
You can even take your garden to the next level by becoming a Certified Monarch Waystation. Bexley residents, the Luckshaw family, established their Certified Monarch Waystation in June 2017. You can take a look at their Waystation and native trees on Ardmore near Powell. They are also in the process of establishing a Certified Wildlife Habitat.
Let’s breathe fresh life into our alleys and let’s go native! Natives will support our hardworking pollinators while creating some low maintenance perennial beauties throughout our alleys. Happy planting!
Resources:
pollinator.org
Native Plants of the Midwest: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 500 Species for the Garden by Alan Branhagen
The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants by Charlotte Adelma