Building Your Pollinator Garden

Problems Your Extension Agents Are SeeingLearn which plants are beneficial to pollinators and will grow well in your area.   You will want plants that provide nectar for bees and butterflies and plants that provide food for the larval stage (caterpillars) of butterflies. Milkweed, bronze fennel, and parsley are all wonderful host plants for butterfly caterpillars.  For nectar plants there are many, many choices.  Annuals such as colorful zinnias, tall sunflowers, and hardy cosmos are easy to grow from seeds.  For a more permanent space try perennials like button bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) and winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima).

Once your garden space is complete, send a photo to Becky Griffin, UGA Community and School Garden Coordinator, at beckygri@uga.edu or post it to our UGA Community and School Gardens Facebook page.  We would love to send your garden a certificate of participation in this historical pollinator event!

Try for a continuous bloom.  Create a space that will bloom through as many seasons as possible.  These links will help you choose plants for your garden:

Center for Urban Agriculture’s Pollinator Plant Suggestions

Pollinator Habitats

The Eco-Friendly Garden:  Attracting Pollinators, Beneficial Insects, and Other Natural Predators – A UGA publication based on research conducted at UGA pollinator research garden.

A Pollinator Friendly Garden Can Be Created in the Shade – A Useful Guide to Shade Gardening for Pollinators

Illustrated Pollinator and Butterfly Guide

Beyond Butterflies: Gardening for Pollinators – a UGA Extension publication by Jeff Webb.

Creating Nesting Boxes for Native Bees

Build Your Pollinator Plant List – created by UGA EcoScapes especially for South Georgia Counties

Environmental Enhancement with Ornamentals –  Butterfly Gardening – information to attract butterflies

Bee Conservation in the Southeast – written by honey bee expert Keith Delaplane

How Gardeners Can Help Pollinators – NRCS publication

UGA’s Honey Bee Lab – find out the latest research going on at UGA on honey bees

Field Guide to Georgia Milkweeds – photos and descriptions of various milkweed plants by Monarchs across Georgia

Xerxes Southeast Plants for Native Bees – native bees will be an important part of your pollinator habitat

Selecting Plants for Pollinators – Southeastern Mixed Forest Province  – a helpful booklet by the Pollinator Partnership and NAPPC

Butterflies and Moths of North America – a great tool for identifying butterflies in your garden

Sample Pollinator Habitats -a great resource for Georgia gardens by Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia

Georgia Pollinators – full of wonderful pollinator facts by Monarch Across Georgia

One Million Pollinator Gardens – a program from the National Pollinator Garden Network

Pollinator Planting Guide – by Pollinator Partnership

Insects & Pollinators – by USDA’s National Resource Conservation Service

Bee Smart Pollinator Gardener App – an app by Pollinator Partnership and NAPPC

Feed A Bee – a program from Bayer on supporting bee health