Planting a Diverse Pollinator Garden
Planting a diverse garden of perennials and annuals with different blooming seasons is the best way to provide nutrition to pollinators throughout the seasons. It’s also a great way to ensure your garden is always blooming with color! The pollinators in the graphic below with the Michigan icon means the plant is native to Michigan.
Pollinators are present in Michigan from late spring through early fall; so it’s important to provide food sources from May through September. The DNR suggests, “Gardens should contain 10 or more of the recommended plant species, with at least three species per bloom period.” Diverse flowering plants provide a varied diet, which is important, just like it is for humans.
Below, I’ve listed some pollinator attracting plants, divided by bloom season, that you can add to your garden if you're in the planning process, or just need a flower refresh. Native plants are a wonderful choice because they’ve already adapted to the climate, don’t require fertilizer to thrive, and are good for the overall ecosystem. Native perennial plants reseed themselves, giving you even more plants over the years, and who doesn’t love free plants?
Blooming seasons differ from year to year, and even garden to garden; This bloom chart is a great resource that provides general blooming periods for most Michigan plants.
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