PLANT FOR POLLINATORS!
What's the buzzzzz all about this month at Mary's Heirloom Seeds?
January is PLANT FOR POLLINATORS month here at Mary's Heirloom Seeds!
Why January? Many of us start planning our gardens early in the year and it's a great time to plan to incorporate pollinator friendly plants. Below you'll find out why pollinators are important and a list of some of our favorite pollinator friendly plants.
Also included with your order is an extra pack of pollinator friendly flower seeds
That's TWO free seeds with your purchase!
This year, I've chosen Cosmos Sensation Mix
HAPPY PLANTING!
From nrcs.usda.gov
Pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, birds and bats. Each of us depends on pollinators in a practical way to provide us with the wide range of foods we eat. In addition, pollinators are part of the intricate web that supports the biological diversity in natural ecosystems that helps sustain our quality of life. Abundant and healthy populations of pollinators can improve fruit set and quality, and increase fruit size. In farming situations this increases production per acre. In the wild, biodiversity increases and wildlife food sources increase.
Planting a pollinator garden is a win-win, all around!
East to grow flowers to encourage pollinators to your garden include Calendula, Sunflowers, Borage, Zinnias, Nasturtiums, our Butterfly Garden Mix flowers pack, Milkweed and Coneflower.
Additional pollinator friendly plant seeds available at Mary's Heirloom Seeds include:
Agastache (Anise Hyssop, Giant Hyssop & Korean Mint), Bachelor Button (also called Cornflower), Bee Balm, Black Eyed Susan, Cosmos, Creeping Thyme, Daisy, Dill, Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed, Lavender, Lupine, Marigolds, Oregano, Plains Coreopsis, Poppy, Salvia, Snapdragon, Verbena and Yarrow
Many of these are simple to start from seed!
Choose a variety of plants for pollinators that bloom at different times throughout the year! This will help provide staggered and continuous food for our pollinator friends as the seasons change. Another way to accomplish this is by staggering the time you start various annuals over a few months, referred to as succession planting.
Please consider growing organic! *Or as I like to grow, "beyond organic standards" avoiding even most of the "organic" sprays and treatments that can harm beneficial insects. It is critical that we exercise organic gardening practices and avoid the use of pesticides. Especially in a space dedicated to pollinators! The pollinators will be most healthy and happy in an environment that is as natural as possible. As your little ecosystem gets established and blossoms, pests are often times kept in check naturally by wild birds and beneficial insects!
Flip this page around for basic seed starting tips for several of the plant varieties mentioned above. If you have additional questions, you can always send an email to mary@marysheirloomseeds.com
To purchase any of these, please check out our "growing" selection of seeds at Mary's Heirloom Seeds