Planting for Pollinators: Help Bees and Butterflies Thrive

Show the Earth a little love by planting for pollinators. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, and other pollinators help flowering plants reproduce and keep gardens and natural habitats growing. And you don't need a huge yard to help. A small garden bed, patio container, balcony planter, or patch of herbs can provide food and habitat for visiting pollinators.

We started our pollinator garden by upcycling a simple cardboard egg carton to start lavender and cilantro seeds. It's an easy, earth-friendly way to reuse something you probably already have while getting a few pollinator-friendly plants started.

Gather Your Supplies

You don't need much to get started:

• A cardboard egg carton
• Pollinator-friendly herb or flower seeds
• Seed-starting soil
• A pen or needle to poke drainage holes
• A watering can or spray bottle

For herbs, try lavender, cilantro, fennel, basil, thyme, or sage. You can also start pollinator-friendly flowers suited to your growing region.

What Should You Plant for Pollinators?

A good pollinator garden offers flowers throughout as much of the growing season as possible. Different plants bloom at different times, so growing a mix can help provide nectar and pollen from spring through fall.

Native plants are especially valuable because local pollinators and plants have adapted alongside one another. If you're adding plants outdoors, look for native flowers recommended for your region along with familiar garden herbs and flowers.

Lavender

Lavender's fragrant purple flowers are popular with bees and butterflies. Once established, it can provide abundant blooms while adding beautiful color and scent to a sunny garden.

Cilantro

Don't be too quick to pull cilantro when it starts to bolt. If you let some of it flower, those clusters of tiny blossoms can attract bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects.

Basil

We usually grow basil for the leaves, but let a plant or two flower and you'll see why pollinators like it too. Bees are frequent visitors to basil blossoms.

Thyme and Sage

These garden favorites do double duty. You can use them in the kitchen and let some of their flowers remain for visiting pollinators. They're also good choices when you don't have room for a large garden.

Fennel

Fennel produces clusters of tiny yellow flowers that attract beneficial insects, and its foliage can also serve as a host plant for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. If you spot a caterpillar munching away, consider sharing your fennel. You may be helping raise a future butterfly.

Native Flowers

Don't forget the flowers that naturally grow in your part of the country. Native wildflowers can provide nectar, pollen, and habitat for local insects and wildlife. What works best will depend on where you live, so check native plant recommendations for your region before planting.

Even a small pollinator garden can make a difference. A few pots of flowering herbs on a patio or balcony can become another little stopping place for bees and butterflies moving through your neighborhood.

Poke Holes in the Bottom of the Egg Carton

Use a pen or needle to poke small drainage holes in each egg cup. This allows excess water to drain so your seedlings aren't sitting in soggy soil.

Add Soil to the Carton

Fill each section of the egg carton with seed-starting soil. Gently settle the soil into each cup without packing it too tightly.

Add Your Seeds

Plant your seeds according to the directions on the seed packet. Planting depth and germination needs vary, so the packet is your best guide.

If you're planting several varieties, label them now. Tiny seedlings can look surprisingly similar when they first pop up.

Pat Down the Soil

Gently pat the soil around the seeds so they stay in place and have good contact with the moist soil.

Give Your Seeds a Drink

Water gently with a spray bottle or small watering can. Keep the soil appropriately moist while your seeds germinate, following the growing instructions for the varieties you planted.

Once your seedlings are ready to move outdoors, transplant them into your garden or containers. Because cardboard egg cartons can dry out quickly, keep an eye on moisture while your seedlings are still growing in their little starter cups.

A Few More Ways to Help Pollinators

Planting flowers is a great beginning, but a pollinator-friendly space can offer more than blooms.

• Grow a variety of flowers that bloom at different times of year.
• Include native plants whenever you can.
• Leave some herbs such as basil and cilantro long enough to flower.
• Provide a shallow water source with safe places for insects to land.
• Leave a few natural areas where insects can find shelter.
• Avoid unnecessary pesticide use around pollinator plants.

You don't have to create a perfect garden. A few thoughtful changes can turn an ordinary yard, balcony, or patio into a more welcoming place for the creatures that share it with us.

Why Pollinators Matter

Pollinators move pollen from flower to flower, allowing many plants to produce seeds and fruit. That makes them an important part of both natural ecosystems and the foods people grow and eat.

Planting for pollinators is also a wonderful excuse to slow down and notice what's happening right outside your door. Watch which flowers the bees visit. Look for caterpillars hiding among the leaves. Notice when the first butterflies arrive. A small garden can become its own little world.

More Earth-Friendly Garden Projects

If you've still got dirt under your fingernails, try another Soul Flower garden project:

• DIY Mandala Garden Stones
• DIY Tin Can Planters
• Top 10 Oxygen Producing Houseplants
• Easy Earth Day Leaf Tree Activity

For the Bee and Butterfly Lovers

Our love for pollinators doesn't stop in the garden. Bees, butterflies, moths, dragonflies, flowers, and other bits of the natural world have been finding their way into Soul Flower artwork for years.

If they're your kind of creatures too, wander through our bee and butterfly gifts for nature-inspired stickers, accessories, gifts, and other Soul Flower finds.

Bee Yourself Enamel Camping Cup

Take a little bee energy along on your next adventure with our Bee Yourself Enamel Camping Cup, featuring original bee artwork on a reusable enamel camp mug.

Pollinators Eco Tote Bag

Heading to the farmers market or garden center? Our Pollinators Eco Tote Bag celebrates the little creatures that help gardens grow.

More Bee & Butterfly Finds

From butterfly patches to nature-inspired accessories, you can explore our current Bees & Butterflies collection to see what's buzzing around Soul Flower right now.

Whether you plant one pot of flowers or turn your whole yard into a pollinator haven, every little patch of nature gives us another reason to stop, look around, and appreciate the tiny creatures doing some very important work.