It’s National Pollinator Week—and even if your schedule is packed, you can still make a difference for bees, butterflies, and other garden helpers with just a few quick actions. These are five easy things you can do this week (or even today) to support pollinators and help your garden thrive.
1. Skip the Spray
Avoid using pesticides, especially broad-spectrum ones. Even organic sprays can harm pollinators, so try interplanting herbs and flowers to manage pests naturally.
2. Let Something Bloom
Leave a patch of cilantro, dill, or lettuce to bolt and flower. Pollinators love these simple blooms, and you’ll attract beneficial insects without planting anything new.
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3. Put Out Water
Pollinators need hydration, too! A shallow bowl filled with water and pebbles gives bees and butterflies a safe place to land and sip. (I put stones in my birdbath), or you can purchase one like this on Amazon.
4. Plant Something with Pollen
Grab a pollinator-friendly plant at your local garden center. Coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, yarrow, or zinnias are great choices that provide pollen and nectar.
Download these butterfly printables which includes a list of pollinator friendly flowers, herbs and trees, a sheet for taking notes, a butterfly sighting log to keep up with the pollinators you see in the garden, and tips on creating a pollinator friendly garden. Download yours here
5. Leave Some Mess
That patch of bare soil or old log? It could be nesting habitat for solitary native bees. Not everything needs to be perfectly tidy.
Little changes add up. Even one action can provide food, water, or shelter for pollinators that are struggling to find it elsewhere. Pick one (or more) and celebrate this week by making your garden a safe haven.
Happy Gardening
Karen
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