Pollinator Garden Seed Mix
Indeed, a half a pound or pound is a lot of seed. With this volume you can successfully populate between 200 sq ft and 1000 sq ft of prepared pollinator garden space.
All of our native plant species support pollinators. And so, all of our native wildflowers support lots of life. This mix is the “Top Hits.” These plants fairly vibrate all day long with hundreds of pollinating insects. One of our friends refers to her Anise Hyssop as a “Bumblebee Homeless Shelter.” The bees do usually fall asleep on the flowers, which is something wonderful to see just after sunrise. If you’ve ever wanted to have a DIY Bumblebee Petting Farm, this seed mix is your best chance.
In the US, folks have been irresponsible land stewards for the past 7 decades. In the 1950’s everybody decided that insects were pests to be eradicated. Poisonous chemicals to sterilize the earth became ubiquitous. It’s had devastating effects on the environment. Pollinating insects have paid a heavy price for our short-sighted behavior. Populations of most pollinators are struggling. Thankfully, there’s been a recent cultural movement to support pollinator conservation.
Pollinator Garden Seed as a Conservation Tool.
Planting habitat restoration gardens with native plants is the single best action an American landowner can do to support our struggling pollinators. Although this may be true, there’s quite a lot of misinformation on the internet re: how to best create a pollinator garden. Most “pollinator seed mixes” for sale online are composed of annual flowering plants, and introduced non-native species are found in these feel-good mixes. A pollinator garden with real substance needs natives. Perennials are the best choice for any permanence or garden durability. Annual flowers are ephemeral and need replacement every year. Planting annuals damages the soil over time unless folks leave the roots to disintegrate in the soil. The native perennial plant species have mysterious and sophisticated relationships with our specialist pollinating insects. There’s no duplicating this keystone symmetry with introduced plants. Native bees (and wasps, hoverflies, butterflies, dragonflies, fireflies) need native perennial plants to live.
Seed Mix varies by availability, likely to include:
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Boneset x2 (Eupatorium perfoliatum, E. altissimum)
Ox-Eye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Flat Top Aster (Doellingeria umbellatus)
Blue Lobelia (L siphilitica)
Joe Pye Flower (Eupatorium maculatum, E. purpureum, E. fistulosum)
