5 Ways You Can Help the Ecosystem Through Your Garden
Nothing quite says spring like a garden full of beautiful blooming flowers and budding vegetable patches. But your garden does much more than boost your home’s curb appeal – it plays a vital role in supporting your local ecosystem by attracting pollinators (think… bees, butterflies and hummingbirds!).
Planting a pollinator-friendly garden will not only help protect endangered pollinators like our honey bees, it will also help combat the effects of climate change by supporting wildlife and helping native plants thrive. And for your efforts, you’ll have beautiful and colourful additions to your garden. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Resist the urge to prune dandelions in the early spring. These weeds will help bees start the season with a food source when there are few others available.
- When shopping, buy plants with different blooming periods to attract bees throughout the growing season.
- Bees and pollinators are most attracted to purple, yellow, white and blue flowers with single, fragrant blooms.
- Keep your garden healthy for pollinators by using compost or natural fertilizer in place of harmful insecticides.
- Keep it wild! Pollinators actually prefer a wild, messy garden to work in.
- Instead of a deep birdbath, opt for a shallow dish filled with rocks when adding water features. This way insects won’t drown when stopping for water.
Your home is an important part of your local community! Concentrate your efforts on improvements that will not only enhance your investment but do good for those around you. Additional resources can be found at rlp.ca/homeowner-tips.
