Cultivating a pollinator's paradise

Plan early and stay patient to attract pollinators to your garden

A small carpenter bee is seen on a native aster.
A small carpenter bee is seen on a native aster.

The Central Missouri Master Gardeners (CMMG) boasts members with rose gardens, native plant gardens, hedges and yards that resemble jungles. They focus on not only their own yards' beautification, but the beautification of the community. Many of them grow extra vegetables to donate to local food pantries.

All of them enjoy the fruits of their own labor: creating a home to butterflies, birds and more.

To attract pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden this summer, start with planning and finish with persistence and patience.

Plant with seasons in mind

Some gardeners say never to plant before Easter, while CMMG board member Anika Rudloff follows the old adage of waiting until Mother's Day for some of her plants, such as tropicals, herbs, annuals and tomatoes.

"It's important not to plant too early. Cold weather can come along and kill your plants," Rudloff said. "Right now, I've planted lettuce in pots outside - lettuce and other cool-season crops like spinach and broccoli like colder temperatures. I also like to plant pansies in the early spring, too."

A garden that supports pollinators is a self-sustaining, low-maintenance and entertaining one. A well-planned garden with the enviable butterflies and hummingbirds can become its own habitat, providing shelter and food.

While butterflies are beautiful and hummingbirds are fun to watch, both pollinate, taking any garden to a new level. Hummingbirds also eat some small garden pests, including aphids.

Attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden starts with planning and preparation. Considering the space available and the gardener's resources is vital.

"I have a wide variety of ornamental plants in my yard: flowering bushes, evergreen shrubs, oak trees, Japanese maples and perennials," Rudloff said. "Since I'm a frugal gardener, I use more perennials than annuals because perennials come back year after year. I grow many native plants because they take our crazy weather conditions. I also have containers of tropical plants my husband begrudgingly hauls out each spring. I overwinter them in the garage with lights. By the middle of summer, our yard looks like a jungle."

A jungle-like garden is attractive to pollinators, as it can provide a variety of resources, whether food, shelter or hosting. A true butterfly-oriented garden provides places for butterflies to lay eggs and hatch and for caterpillars to eat and form their chrysalis.

Meanwhile, a single hummingbird will visit an average of 1,000 flowers per day for nectar, making plant diversity an obvious choice. Between trees, shrubs, and annual and perennial flowers, a well-planned garden in central Missouri can be the perfect habitat. Different butterflies feed and host on specific plants, so gardeners must consider the preferred native food and host source for their favorite butterflies when planning.

Select plant species carefully

Adding trees and shrubs to your garden is vital, as pollinators are lightweight and must have shelter to survive. Additionally, certain trees, such as the hawthorn - Missouri's state flower - are very attractive to butterflies. Additional native plants, such as the milkweed and coneflower, are not only preferred but easier to maintain. Moss will provide some nesting padding hummingbirds will thank gardeners for.

It is vital for gardeners not to consider invasive plants, such as the butterfly bush. These bushes quickly get out of control, spread, and threaten native plants that may be preferred food sources for the species you want to attract.

Rudloff also encourages gardeners to avoid pesticides, which can do more harm than good.

"Pesticide use and loss of habitat are threatening all of our butterflies," Rudloff said. "In this area of the country, the monarch population has been greatly reduced. Limiting use of pesticides and planting milkweed is a way to help them."

Rudloff also noted the area has somewhat undesirable but manageable soil, which needs to be addressed to have a successful garden.

"Like everyone else in Mid-Missouri, our yard was originally clay and rocks," Rudloff said. "Adding compost year after year has made the yard much more plant-friendly. I've also added turkey and rabbit manure to the flower beds."

The local soil is heavy, does not drain well and dries hard. Many plants can handle the area's dirt, but the same will do much better if the condition of the soil is improved with compost and fertilizers.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) provides a variety of resources on how to benefit native species of butterflies, such as monarchs.

"Milkweeds and nectar plants will do best in relatively light (lowclay) soils," notes MDC. "Good drainage is needed to avoid root rot and provide good aeration of the roots. Areas with poor drainage may need more tolerant species such as swamp milkweed and New England aster."

Further preparation for a solid garden includes setting up flower beds with edging and fencing (if needed) and adding some rocks. Edging stops grass from entering the bed and makes it easier to mow around the bed, and rocks provide an excellent place for butterflies to sun and water to pool. Many gardeners advise adding a very shallow bath for butterflies to drink from and hummingbirds to bathe in. As you plan your bed, consider the sun and shade requirements of both the plants and the pollinators. Butterflies not only love, but need, sunshine as cold-blooded insects.

"Monarch plants need lots of sun; therefore, monarch habitats need to be located in an area that receives at least six hours of sun a day," says MDC.

Other trees that provide great shelter and yummy food for pollinators include the red buckeye tree, the tulip tree and eucalyptus. The Rose of Sharon is a shrub regularly recommended by butterfly gardeners as a great supplement to butterflies' preferred food and host sources. The Rose of Sharon grows 5-8 feet tall and 4-7 feet wide.

A mix of heights and fragrant and less fragrant flowers will attract both hummingbirds and butterflies. Butterflies also have a difficult time resisting phlox, which comes in a variety of colors and heights.

As far as annuals, marigolds, petunias and hollyhock are excellent choices for pollinators. Additionally, hollyhock varieties can come in either annual or perennial varieties and are a great host for some types of caterpillars. Spikes of hollyhock will add depth and interest to any garden and come in many attractive colors, such as dark purple, yellow, white, pink and red.

Other excellent hosts for caterpillars include willow and black cherry trees, fennel and, of course, milkweed. Caterpillars prefer the shade, while butterflies prefer the sun.

Planting flowers in clusters not only makes feeding easier for pollinators but enhances the aesthetic appeal of a garden.

"To assure that the maximum number of monarchs survive in your habitat, the plants should be relatively close together," says MDC. "However, they should not be crowded - be sure to follow the planting recommendations specific to each plant. All monarch life stages need shelter from predators and the elements. Planting milkweeds and nectar plants close together contributes to this shelter for monarchs and other wildlife."

MDC also recommends native flowers such as white prairie clover, black-eyed Susan and rough blazing star to attract monarchs.

"Butterflies love our native flowers. I am not a purist when it comes to plants," Rudloff said. "I grow many non-native plants. But the native plants attract more butterflies in my yard. In fact, some butterfly species are dependent on specific native plants for their survival. For example, monarch butterfly caterpillars only eat milkweed."

Mulching is vital after planting to hold moisture and keep root systems insulated as they develop.

To really attract hummingbirds, hang hummingbird feeders filled with a boiled and cooled solution of one part sugar, four parts water. Food coloring is not necessary, as most feeders have some red on them, and is considered harmful to many. A variety of resources are available at the Missouri River Regional Library and on MDC's website about supplemental feeding for hummingbirds.

Once a garden is growing, butterflies and hummingbirds may or may not appear quickly. Persisting and continuing to improve the garden through pruning and supplementation will ensure that pollinators discover your garden and continue to return year after year, perhaps even choosing it as the place where they nest and host.

For more information on where to buy native plants and seeds and how to garden with them, visit grownative.org.