A wide proportion of food plants need pollination to prosper. Can you imagine that 80% of strawberries and 9 out of 10 melons wouldn’t exist without bees intervention? Same for zucchini, apples, and cherries. Even tomatoes need minimum air vibrations caused the drone, our official baritone. Pollinator Attracting Flowers are useful for pollination process to occur in the garden.
Pollination is thus vital for many fruits and vegetables. In order to encourage bees and other pollinators to visit your garden, I highly recommend to grow some nectariferous plants. I present in this article 5 of these easy to plant pollinator attracting flowers that are best in attracting pollinators.
1- Lavender (LAVANDULA OFFICINALIS)
Lavender flowers are well known for their pleasant fragrance. In a garden, these flowers are very attractive to pollinators. They generally flourish between March and September depending on species and regions. This quite long flowering season allows for maximum nectar and pollen supply. As many insects do not like lavender’s smell, having it in the garden naturally keeps many aphids away.
Tip:
Plant lavenders next to roses. This will protect them from aphids.
2- Dandelion (TARAXACUM OFFICINALIS)
You may be surprised to see such badly reputed plant in this list. Like other weeds, many consider the dandelion nothing but mere nuisance. Well, this is not true. Having dandelion has in fact many benefits. This flower is an early flowering plant as it flourishes since January. This is excellent for early beneficial insects and pollinators. With enough food at their disposition, they are strong enough at the end of winter, and are thus able to better
defend your garden.
Tip:
Grow dandelion in your garden’s edges as long as it’s far enough from the street. Selected and improved varieties (and even some indigenous varieties) are perfectly edible.
Know About: Metal Detectable Knives - Cutting Edge Multi Purpose Tools3- Marigold (CALENDULA OFFICINALIS)
Marigolds (pot and wild marigolds) flourish during the period between May and October and attract a wide variety of beneficial insects and pollinators. The Marigold is easy to grow and very decorative which makes of it the perfect flower for every garden.
Tip:
Grow the marigold in a somewhat isolated location as it tends to exert severe competition on other plants.
4- Fennel (FOENICULUM VULGARE)
Growing fennel is great. However, it requires a great deal of attention, especially in watering. Fennel’s beautiful yellow pollinator attracting flower are totally worth the effort. You will be surprised by the diversity of pollinators and beneficial insects they attract. In addition, fennel is an excellent leafy vegetable with indisputable nutritive qualities. It is welcome in every
organic garden.
Tip:
Keep fennel far from tomatoes, beans, and marigolds as it tends to inhibit their growth.
5- Mallow (MALVA SILVESTRIS)
èMallows flourish between May and September. In adequate conditions, the mallow can reach up to 6 feet. It is then easier to combine it with other flower strips like in the case catch crops. This way, you would be able to provide a multitude of different nectariferous pollinator attracting flowers that pollinators would just love.
Tip:
If the mallow becomes too large, do not hesitate to prune some branches that you can later use in preparing your
organic compost or mulch.
| About the Guest Author:
By
Marvin Delany, Veterinary medicine student and author at
Farmingstyle.
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