Designing a pollinator-friendly garden: Tips from a pollinator expert

On January 15, 2025January 21, 2025 By durhammastergardenersIn bees, beneficial insects, bird friendly habitat, coastal goldenrod, garden design, garden tasks, Gardening information, gardening NC, goldenrod, insects, landscaping for wildlife, native bee habitat, native plant list, native plant list for Piedmont NC, native plants, Native plants of NC, Natives, NC Native Plants, nesting bees, nesting insects, perennials, pollinator gardening, pollinators, sustainable garden design, sustainable gardening, Uncategorized, urban gardening

By Martha Keehner Engelke, NC State Extension Master Gardener ^SMvolunteer of Durham County

Winter is the perfect time to make a plan to revise your garden. For many, that means making your garden more attractive to pollinators. Recently, I learned that building a garden that makes the A-list for pollinators is not just about the plants. I had an opportunity to interview Dr. Danesha Seth Carley, PhD Associate Professor in Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University (NCSU).

Dr. Carley’s expertise is sustainable management of urban landscapes with a focus on pollinator ecology. Her recent research programs include pollen quality in commonly planted wild-flowers, pollinator ecology, and pollinator habitat establishment. She has conducted her research along North Carolina roadways and at the historic Pinehurst #2 and #4 golf courses.

I heard Dr. Carley speak at a program sponsored by the Gardening Association of North Carolina . I contacted her, and she graciously agreed to a follow-up interview. She expanded on topics discussed in her presentation as well as her book Pollinator Gardening for the South: Creating Sustainable Habitats (co-authored with Anne M. Spafford)¹.

orange white and black butterfly on green leaf — P

brown and black bee on yellow flower nectar — P

Butterflies, bees, flies, wasps and birds are all considered to be pollinators. The most important pollinator is the bee. Bees contribute millions of dollars to the U.S. economy through pollination. (Images credit: Pixaby)

What does a pollinator want?

Let’s talk about the most important pollinator: Bees. There are two main categories of bees: social and solitary. Social bees are divided into 3 categories: bumblebees, honey bees and stingless bees (which are not well understood). Solitary bees, which are a larger category, include carpenter bees and the tiny sweat bee. In her book, Dr Carley tells the fascinating story about the social life of bees (as well as other pollinators).

The gardener needs to remember that pollinators choose plants that are best suited to their anatomy particularly tongue length (proboscis) and mouth parts. Bees are attracted to bowl-shaped flower that often have a prolific pollen ring in the middle. Native bees enjoy feasting on plants in the Asteraceae, Salix, Solidago, Helianthus, and Symphyotricum families. Butterflies and hummingbirds have longer tongues. They will be attracted to more tubular flowers such as Fuchsia (Fuchsia spp) ; Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis); and Turk’s cap lily (Lilium superbun).

All varieties of a particular plant are not equal when it comes to pollinators. Cultivars are often bred to maximize flower size, disease resistance, or aroma. This means that the cultivar may have less quality pollen than the plant from which it was bred. If you see the plant described as “flora pleno” (meaning with a full flower) it is likely to be a double bloom and thus less accessible to pollinators. A plant that is considered to be a great pollinator as a single, loses some of its attraction when it is a double. For example, Purple coneflower (echinacea purpurea) is one of the best plants for a pollinator garden but a number of cultivars with double flowers are more difficult for pollinators to access.

On the left echinacea purpurea has single flowers and is considered to be a great flower for pollinators. One the right, the flowers of Echinacea Supreme™ Elegance make it more difficult for pollinators to access. To some gardeners, the cultivar may seem more beautiful but the pollinators don’t see it that way. (Image credit: NC Tool Box; National Gardening Association, NJ Bob)

Someone like Dr. Carley is frequently asked which plants are the best for pollinators and she has an answer for her “Big Five” plants. They are: Mountain Mints (pycnanthemum sp.); Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea); Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa); Asters (Symphyotrichum sp); and Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella).

Pollinators are attracted by pollen and nectar. Desirable pollinator plants include: Mountain Mints (Image credit: ( NC Extension, Kerry Woods CC BY NC); Coneflowers (Image credit: NC Extension, Cathy DeWitt, CC BY 4.0) ; Butterfly Milkweed (Image credit: NC Extension, Mary Keim CC-BY-NC- SA-2); ; Asters (Image credit: NC Extension Douglas Goldman, USDA CC BY 4.0) ); and Blanket Flower (Image credit: elephantkitty CC BY NC ND 2.0)

The Importance of Structure/Composition

Just like humans, pollinators need two things to survive: nutrients (carbohydrates from nectar, protein from pollen) and a safe place to live and work. To be on the “A-list” pollinators want access to high quality pollen and nectar and protection from predators. This is why the structure of a garden is important.

Many of us approach gardening from the perspective of “buy one, plant one”. In our quest to have a lot of different plants, we may be reducing the attraction of our garden to pollinators. Planting clumps of plants rather than a single plant can help pollinators be more efficient. For example, honey bees and bumble bees enjoy goldenrod (Solidago). If you plant one goldenrod the female bees (the males don’t forage) collect the pollen on their hairy bodies (which is one reason they are the best pollinators), and then transfer it to their rear legs into their “pollen basket”. They mix the pollen with a bit of nectar to hold it in place and head back to the hive. If she has to do this several times because one plant doesn’t provide enough pollen, she is less efficient and it means that she might have less energy and be more susceptible to disease. There are two ways to prevent this: plant clumps of good quality plants or increase the diversity of your plantings (next section).

Goldenrod (Soldaigo spp. is a great plant for pollinators including this honey bee. When planted in clumps it helps the bees (and other pollinators) be more efficient. Of course, Goldenrod is a fast growing plant so you don’t need too many of them. (Image credit: NC Extension Plant Tool Box, Hope Duckworth)

Space for a happy home and safety from predators and toxins are other considerations related to the structure of a pollinator garden. While social bees (like honeybees) will live happily in wooden boxes or hollow trees, solitary bees dig their nests in the ground or in tubular stems. Resisting the urge to cut plants with hollow stems until the spring temperature is above 57^oF (the temperature when bees become active) allows bees to have a safe home for the winter.

It is also important to plant your pollinator garden away from areas that will be treated with pesticides and away from public walkways. Some people are allergic to or afraid of bees or consider flies and wasps to be a nuisance. If your garden is in the front of your house, you might want to plant your best pollinating plants toward the back of the bed. A strategically placed shrub or tree is another way of protecting pollinators.

A cluster of orange coneflowers allows butterflies and birds access to abundant nectar and seeds without excessive movement or exposure to predators. The shrub in the back offers protection. (Image credit: NC State Extension, Chris Moorman)

Diversity/Seasonality

A garden made of different types of plants (especially if they are native) is the best type of pollinator garden. Native plants are best because pollinators and native plants have evolved together. The NC Wildflower Association has developed an excellent chart of native plants that includes sun requirements and seasonality. The NC State Extension office provides a list of pollinator plants that include trees, shrubs and vines. These are useful tools in developing a garden that will valued by pollinators all year round.

As you begin your landscape design, be sure to think vertically as well as horizontally. Dr. Carley cautions that you need layers for depth and smooth transitions between plant layers. Thin clumps (or sweeps) of perennials that bloom early in the season that are planted close to other perennials that bloom later means that you have diversity as well as seasonality. It also makes your garden look better because something is always blooming.

To get some height consider a tree. One of the best is the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis). It is one of the few plants that has flowers before leaves. It blooms in early spring when pollen from other plants is scarce and it has high quality pollen and nectar. Honey bees, bumble bees, mason bees, cuckoo bees, long-horned bees, mining bees, and sweat bees love it. Redbuds are also a host plant for the larvae of several butterflies and moths. Songbirds and some other mammals eat the seeds. What’s not to like?

Pair the Redbud with shorter shrubs such as a native Sweetbush (Clethra alnifolia) which blooms much later but is visited by hummingbirds, butterflies, native bees, and later by birds who enjoy the fruit and a few shorter plants like the Cardinal Flower (Lobelia sp). Maybe even a few annuals for filling those bare spaces? Now you have a garden that is on the A-List for pollinators but is also attractive to look at.

Eastern redbud (top left) is one of the first plants to flower in the spring, and cardinal flower (right) and goldenrod (bottom left) are two excellent late-season nectar sources for bees, butterflies and other insects. (Image credit: NC Cooperative Extension, left photo by Alice B. Russell; other photos by Chris Moorman)

As a final thought, I quote Dr. Carley “there is no garden too small or landscape too large to include pollinator habitat. Together we can help protect our pollinator friends, and maybe we can inspire others along the way”.¹

Note¹: If you are interested in getting Dr Carley’s book, it is available through UNC Press.

Additional Reading and Resources

To learn how you can foster a home for bees during the winter consider leaving these plants with pithy stems during the winter. If you need to cut them, leave the long stems until spring in an obscure place in your landscape: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/how-to-manage-a-successful-bee-hotel/appendix-3-plants-that-produce-hollow-or-pithy-twigs-and-stems-used-by-nesting-bees

Here are some suggestions on specific plant that will attract pollinators to your garden:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/landscaping-for-wildlife-with-native-plants

https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/attracting-birds-beneficial-insects-other-wildlife/pollinators-and-other-beneficial-insects

The North Carolina Arboretum provides suggestions for plants and landscaping for a home pollinator garden: https://www.ncarboretum.org/2020/05/08/ask-the-arboretum-creating-a-pollinator-paradise-garden/

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-5tr

Leave The Leaves: A Simple Way to Help Wildlife and Your Garden

On October 23, 2024October 23, 2024 By durhammastergardenersIn bees, beneficial insects, composting, dealing with fall leaves on lawn, Durham NC, fall gardening, garden design, gardening, Gardening information, gardening NC, insects, lawns, leaves, mulch, pollinator gardening, pollinators, soil, soil health, soil microbes, sustainability, sustainable gardening, sustanability, urban wildlife

By Marcia Kirinus, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SMvolunteer of Durham County

Did you know that the National Wildlife Federation has designated October as Leave the Leaves Month? This initiative encourages people to rethink traditional fall yard clean-up by leaving fallen leaves in place—or at least on your property—instead of bagging them up and sending them to the landfill

Traditional fall clean-up often involves raking or blowing leaves, bagging them, and setting them out on the curb. Then we head over to the big box store to buy mulch and fertilizer to replace what nature is already providing. This process is time consuming, resource draining, and unnecessary. Leaves are not trash. We are missing an opportunity.

Instead, let nature do the hard work — your garden will thank you. The thing that is most natural to do — the thing that happens in nature — is to let your leaves lie where they fall. If you have extra leaves, bag them and offer them to neighbors or local gardeners who can make good use of them.

Beyond convenience, there are significant benefits to leaving the leaves. First and foremost, they nourish the soil. As leaves decompose, they enrich the soil with nutrients, promoting healthier, richer soils. Consider them free mulch and fertilizer. Second, leaves insulate the soil, protecting it from temperature fluctuations. They also help retain moisture. Finally, leaves make incredibly important habitats for wildlife. Have you noticed a decline in lightning bugs? Most of their life cycle is spent under leaf debris. By keeping your leaves in place you can boost wildlife habitats, enrich your soil, and even help with global environmental challenges.

Left: Adult Firefly. Right: Larvae of Firefly . Most fireflies are habitat specialists. They rely on undisturbed leaf litter for one year or more to complete their lifecycles. These insects spend most of their lives as larvae preying on earthworms and other animals in the soil or leaf litter. If that habitat is disrupted during their youth, populations can be extinguished. (Image credit M. Bertone, NCSU Entomology.)

Last year’s oak leaves slowly decomposing with the help of small pinwheel mushrooms (Marasmius rotula). Image credit: Jean Epiphan

Soil Enrichment: The Cornerstone of Healthy Gardens

Soils rich in organic matter absorb and retain water better, turning a soggy lawn into a sponge-like garden bed. In as little as two years, you can turn those wet areas into walkable spaces. It’s not a miracle as building soils naturally is a slow process, but it’s a start and it’s free.

Healthy soil, enriched by decomposed leaves, supports deep-rooted plants, reduces watering needs, and improves plant resilience.

Wildlife Benefits: From Moths to Bumblebees

Leaves provide shelter for many species, including fireflies, butterflies, Moths and endangered bumblebees. Caterpillars overwinter in leaf litter, which also sustains backyard birds in spring. By leaving leaves on the ground, you’re creating essential habitats for these creatures, helping maintain biodiversity and supporting the larger food chain, from insects to birds. Caterpillars, which overwinter in the leaf litter, are a primary food source for 96% of backyard birds during the spring.

From Left to Right: Luna moth pupae, ( Actias luna ), are often difficult to see as they are a chestnut brown and overwinter in leaf litter. In the spring it will emerge as a soft green, 3 to 4.5 inch moth. All life stages provide food for predators. (Image credit: Donald W. Hall, UF) Leaf litter is the ideal Earthworm habitat. Earthworms provide beneficial castings which are building blocks to healthy soil. (Image credit: M. Bertone, NCSU) Woolly bear (Pyrrharctia isabella) construct shelters like this one made from pine needles to protect themselves from the winter elements. They also commonly use leaf litter and other yard debris. (Image credit: batwrangler, flickr. with permission)

Small Acts, Big Impact: Helping with Global Change

By making small changes in how we manage our yards, we can create big environmental benefits—both locally and globally. Leaving the leaves isn’t just about benefiting your yard—it’s about making a difference on a global scale. Encouraging wildlife and helping to maintain a balance in the food chain is one way you are helping. By skipping the blower and rake, you also reduce fossil fuel consumption, lowering your carbon footprint. Additionally, leaves that are sent to landfills contribute to methane emissions as they decompose without oxygen. Composting them in your yard helps reduce these emissions.

If you still want to move your leaves around the yard, consider using a rake instead of a blower. Rakes are quieter, healthier for you, and don’t rely on fossil fuels. They also give you more control, allowing you to gently move the leaves without disturbing the soil or nearby wildlife. My neighbor for 17 years told me that he can rake faster than he can blow his leaves. I was dubious. At the time, my clean-up tool was a blower. However, I hated the noise and smell so I took his words as a challenge. I pulled out the rake and never looked back. I can rake faster, and with a lighter touch. I can listen to the birds and I feel stronger, fitter for doing so.

I also reduced my turfgrass lawn significantly so I can leave the leaves in place. I converted it into valuable wildlife habitat by planting native ferns and flowers. Lawns require water, fertilizer, and herbicides, not to mention mowing, which creates noise and uses fossil fuels. And lawns are wildlife dead zones. However, I still need a place to play fetch with Moira, so a small patch of “meadow” remains. I say meadow because it is green – mostly clover.

Making the most of your leaves

Here are a few simple strategies to keep them working for you. You don’t have to leave all the leaves exactly where they fall.

On Lawns: A thick layer of leaves can suffocate your lawn. Instead, run a mower over the leaves to chop them into smaller pieces. A thin layer (1–2 inches) of shredded leaves can actually nourish the grass over the winter, breaking down over time to feed the soil.
Flower or Vegetable Beds: Spread whole leaves in flower beds or vegetable gardens. They act as mulch, suppressing weeds and adding organic matter as they decompose, improving soil structure and fertility. For most garden beds, a leaf layer of 3–5 inches deep is ideal. Avoid piling leaves directly on top of plants; instead, place them around the plants, covering any exposed soil. This will suppress weeds, preserve soil moisture, and return nutrients to the roots as the leaves decompose.
Composting: Leaves are perfect for composting—rich in carbon and ideal for building fertile soil. Consider adding them to your compost pile or creating a leaf mold. If the wind blows leaves into unwanted areas, let nature guide them into natural piles, and then redistribute the leaves to your garden beds or around trees.

From left to right: Mower cutting leaves into small pieces instead of removing them (Image credit: Pixaby);. Moving whole leaves to help create paths by suppressing weeds (Image credit: Justin Butts). Composting excessive leaves (Image credit: Christy Bredenkamp, NC Extension Director, Moore County).

Conclusion: A Small Change with a Big Impact

With just a few thoughtful changes, as gardeners and homeowners, we have the power to make a positive impact on the environment by simply rethinking how we take care of our little piece of earth outside of our back door. This October, join the movement and Leave the Leaves—because every leaf left behind makes a difference.