This post brought to you by Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.
There are so many wonderful reasons to grow a garden. My patio herb garden provides a bounty of fresh herbs for medicinal purposes and for flavoring my family’s favorite recipes. While the garden I grow in my yard provides me with beautiful flowers and greenery to enjoy, it serves a much greater purpose. It provides much needed food for the creatures who live in and visit my yard. Gardening for the birds, bees, and butterflies is a way to give back to Mother Nature and lend a helping hand to the precious creatures who share your space.
Pollinators such as hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies are essential to our world. Tragically, the bee population has begun to dwindle in large numbers, in recent years. One thing we can all do to help, is to plant a pollinator-friendly garden in our yards. Choose nectar and pollen-rich plants like wild flowers and old-fashioned varieties of flowers. Include plants like dill, fennel, and milkweed that butterfly larvae can feed on.
It’s important to plant for continuous bloom. Butterflies need nectar throughout the adult phase of their life span. Try to plant so that when one plant stops blooming, another begins. A succession of blooming annuals, perennials and shrubs is best so nectar and pollen will be available throughout the growing season.
There is a large variety of plants that will attract and sustain birds, bees and butterflies, including: garden plox, goldenrod, blanket flower, butterfly weed, asters, blazing star, tickseed, wisteria, sassafras, black-eyed susan, shasta daisy, snapdragon, spider flowers, sunflower, violets, and many more. I recommend visiting your local library to learn more about which plants to choose. This is such a great project to do with the kids.
Many pesticides are deadly to birds, bees, and butterflies. It’s important to grow organic. I like to use Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix and Garden Mix in my garden beds and containers.
In addition to a variety of flowers and plants, it’s important to provide water, shelter, and nesting places. You can make your own simple bird bath using terra cotta pots and saucers.
I get so much enjoyment from seeing the birds, bees, butterflies and other creatures that live in my yard. It’s definitely worth a little bit of effort to give them a helping hand.Check out Gro Something Greater for ideas on how to grow inspiration, get-togethers, family, possibilities, curiousity, confidence, and much more.
There are so many great reasons to have a garden. Why do you grow?
I admit that I am not a gardener. My daughter would love it if I were. However, I have been tempted to grow a few herbs for tastier meals. I am a bit jealous of the fabulous flower gardens that are presenting themselves now that it is spring.
I love this! The picture of the hummingbird is breathtaking!
Thank you for the resource. I am new to gardening and I have no idea what to use LOL! I’ll go get some Miracle Grow and get some ideas from Grow something greater. Thanks!
Well, we have to keep bees at bay. My daughter is allergic to them and carries an epi-pen. But I’ll take the butterflies and birds please!
We don’t see a whole lot of butterflies around our garden and flowers, but we do see plenty of hummingbirds and bees. I love it!
Those are great photos you have there! We get lots of butterflies in our area. We don’t see a lot of hummingbirds. We get lots of bees though!
My mom and grandma have hummingbird feeders and it’s so fun to watch them! I have butterfly bushes in my yard, so I have so many butterflies in the summer!
Beautiful pictures! I am definitely not a gardner, but these are some great tips.
Now I do it for the herbs, but with the kids we did it for the education and experience of nature.
Beautiful photos! I have been working on growing a few things. I usually kill every plant I touch. Wish me luck.