Biodiversity is the best course for pollinators

IN THE GARDEN

We’re sure hearing a lot these days about creating gardens for pollinators.

Due to loss of suitable habitat they’re in trouble. Pollinators are important and essential to food production and a healthy environment, but don’t feel too guilty if your garden isn’t a complete wildlife habitat full of suitable plants.

The question is, should a garden be filled only with native plants or are plants from afar acceptable?

In my garden, I grow both native and non-native plant species and they all get along. I do confess to growing plants that primarily appeal to me, regardless of where they originate, but I also grow a number specifically to help out pollinators, including plants like swamp milkweed to benefit the monarch butterflies.

My plants have crossed provincial, national, and international borders and on a summer day when the place is buzzing, it can be hard to tell which pollinating insect prefers which flower. Sure, there are insects that are picky eaters, preferring a narrow range of plants, but outside of honeybees, relatively little research has been done on other pollinators, including the 855 species of native bees.

Besides importing garden plants from afar we’ve also managed to import plenty of critters along with them, including birds and insects, some of which are active pollinators and others that are annoying pests. It’s worth noting here that the good old honey bee is not a native of North America.

Ideally, a garden that is biodiverse offering sufficient choice for pollinators is a worthy goal, and it is possible with a balance of both native and non-native plants.

In fact, this is what the Royal Horticultural Society concluded after a four-year study. Although this was done in the U.K., it did feature a mix of flowers from a wide range of geographical regions and countries, determining that support for pollinators can be achieved with a variety of plants.

Plants that failed the test were typically hybrids with double blooms that physically prevent insects reaching the pollen. The study also noted that exotic plants from the southern hemisphere can be used to advantage to extend the season for pollinators. These plants flower later than native varieties from the northern hemisphere and thus continue to provide pollen and nectar after other plants have gone to seed.

Despite the doom and gloom about pollinators, in many ways things are much better than they used to be. Habitat has been lost due to urban sprawl, yet much of the land was farmland where crops were regularly treated with insecticides. It could therefore be argued that the gardens that replaced monocrop farming have improved the lot of pollinators, more so in recent years thanks to a greater interest in gardening. Not too many years ago, most suburban homes were surrounded by chemicallytreated lawns and little more than a few evergreens and a limited number of flowering plants, a wasteland for pollinators.

This all began to change as interest in plants and landscaping increased, greatly influenced by Communities in Bloom programs.

It encouraged homeowners to be more adventurous with their front yards and has since spread to backyards.

Even more helpful was the reduction in the use of pesticides; a tremendous boost for pollinators ... just look at this year’s dandelion crop.

Consequently, there has been an increased interest in plants and gardens. This greatly benefits communities, personal health and well-being, and the lives of those essential pollinators.

Communities in Bloom continues in the City of Kitchener as Kitchener in Bloom. Residents are encouraged to nominate homes or businesses for an award by forwarding the address to Kitchener in Bloom by email to kitchenerinbloom@kitchener.ca or by phone at 519-741-2200 ext. 7224. Deadline is Monday, July 10.

To chat with local gardeners, share tips, pics, or discuss native plants, see Grand Gardeners on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/Grandgardeners/.