June is a big month for gardeners. Spring gives way to summer, it’s National Pollinator Month and June is also Perennial Gardening Month.
This month is a really great time get your perennials in the ground, and be sure to include some native pollinator plants to also further the ever so important mission of bees, birds and bugs of perpetuating the food chain for all of us. If you’re worried you might be a little behind in planting this year- it’s not too late!
Perennial plants will come back year after year, as opposed to annuals, which will die off at the end of their growing season. Many gardeners will choose a number of perennial plants to have as more permanent fixtures in their landscape, in addition to annuals in containers, hanging baskets or a showy border. Some perennials will last 3-4 years in the landscape, others can last much, much longer.
Perennials can spread either by self-seeding or regrowing from the same roots- but herbaceous perennials will die back at the end of the season on top of the soil. Evergreen perennials, or deciduous plants, will keep their leaves & color throughout the year.
No matter your color scheme, or your lighting conditions- there are perennial and pollinator plants for every space, sun or shade, mixed or monochromatic!
Many a savvy gardener know just how vital pollinators to the circle of life- without them, the food chain would all but break down, and the world would be a lot more drab and less oxygenated. That’s why it’s critical to do our part when we plant and maintain our lawn & landscape. If you can, leave your grass a little longer earlier in the season, do your spring clean up a week or so later than you’d planned on, to let those early blooming plants give the pollinators a first meal. When doing research for what to fill your space with, look for native plants, as they will be the hardiest for your area, and what the pollinators will likely flock to.
Another tip to encourage pollinators is to have a fresh water source in your landscape, be it a fountain, bird bath or container pond. They can drink & clean up, and if it’s a birdbath, you can place a few stones or rocks along the edge for the bees & other insects to land on as not to get their feet & wings wet! Be sure to keep the water clean & clear, changing every couple of days, or sooner if you see debris floating around.
For some additional reading, please follow the below links we found for you- these are full of great information about the importance of pollinators!
https://www.fws.gov/pollinators/