Having a landscaped lawn gives you beautiful views to enjoy all year round. You can make these views even better by taking steps to attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other California pollinators to your lawn. These insects and birds can bring more life to your property while also helping ensure that your lawn stays well-pollinated to support an abundance of plant life. Keep the following tips in mind if you want to set up a special garden for pollinators or attract more of them to your entire property.
Choose the Right Plants and Flowers
Not all flowers will draw bees and other pollinators to your lawn. In order to attract pollinator species to your property, you’ll need to focus on planting flowers that contain high amounts of pollen and nectar. Some great choices for a California pollinator lawn or garden include hibiscus, milkweed, lupine, lilacs, bush monkey flowers and wild buckwheat. In general, native plants that are rich in nectar or pollen are an ideal choice. When selecting plants and flowers, choose those that come into bloom at different times. This helps ensure that pollinators have a steady supply of pollen and nectar. Keep in mind that the plants and flowers that will work best for your property depend on where you live and which pollinator species you have in your local area.
Hang Feeders
While choosing the right flowers and plants helps bring pollinators to your property, you can also give these species some added incentive to visit by putting feeders out. Hang feeders for butterflies or hummingbirds to draw more of these insects and birds to your lawn. Just remember that squirrels, wasps and other species might also be attracted to these feeders. Choose feeders that will keep unwanted visitors out while giving pollinators a safe and convenient place to feed.
Offer Shelter
Pollinators are more likely to visit your lawn and stick around if they have somewhere safe to hide from birds and other predators. You can use artificial nesting boxes for this purpose, or use more natural sources of shelter, such as hedges or shrubs. Hummingbirds usually prefer nesting in shrubs or trees, while butterflies lay their eggs on host plants and bees build nests in the ground or in wood. While you don’t have to provide shelter on your property, doing so increases your chances of seeing bees, butterflies and hummingbirds on a regular basis. It also means your landscaping will benefit from having these pollinators around.
Go Natural
Avoid using pesticides that contain toxic chemicals. These products can harm bees and other species that visit your lawn. Focus on using eco-friendly methods to protect your lawn from diseases and pests, such as attracting native predators that feed on pests. If you do end up using any pesticides or if you hire a landscaper who uses them, avoid applying them to areas that pollinators typically visit, such as near open blossoms. You should also try to limit how often you use them, rather than using them throughout the growing season.
