Spring has arrived in Wisconsin, and soon gardens across the state will start to fill with plants.
If this is the year you’re finally going to start your own pollinator garden, experts recommend waiting until after the season’s last frost, which often means plants going into the ground in mid-to-late May.
As the name suggests, pollinator gardens are beneficial to pollinators, like bees, that ensure other plants bloom. A number of plants, including tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, rely on insects to spread their seeds so they can grow.
Allen Pyle, a horticulture specialist for University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, said common mistakes with pollinator gardens include trying to do too much too fast, or simply not starting at all.
“There’s little that you’re going to do that is going to be wrong or cause long-term issues,” Pyle said. “Don’t be afraid to try something, don’t think you have to know everything.”
What beginners should know about starting a pollinator garden
While there are many different plants to choose from, finding native plants and plants without pesticides are important. Pile suggested beginners start with zinnias, which he said is simple to plant and loved by bees.
The Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative also has a list of plant nurseries that are pesticide free.
The specifics of your yard help determine the best types of plants for your garden. For example, sunny yards get different plants than shady yard. For sunny yards, purple coneflower and butterfly milk weed work well, while shady yards might prefer foamflower or wild ginger.
Pyle said experimentation is a part of the process. Detailed notes and photos help gardeners remember what worked and what didn’t from year to year, he said,
“I have a formal degree from Michigan State University in horticulture, and I learned as much just gardening while I was in undergrad as I did in class,” Pyle said.
Do I have a sunny or shady yard? Is my soil too wet or dry?
Sunny gardens get at least six hours of sunlight a day, said Susan Carpenter, native plant garden curator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. There are some tests for soil, but you can more easily test the ground moisture by feeling the ground after it rains to see how plants do under those conditions.
What size garden should I start with?
Pyle suggested starting small and sticking to a budget – and not just a financial budget, but also an energy budget. Not everyone has the time or energy to manage a large number of plants, he said.
Pyle said planting a garden the size of a kitchen table is a reasonable place to start. Carpenter said a 5-by-10-foot patch fits about 35 to 40 plants, though plants should be spaced out enough so they have room to grow.
How much work is a pollinator garden?
Native plants tend to need less managing overall because they evolved in Wisconsin and are suited to the environment. They may need extra attention when they’re first planted, usually by being watered enough if there’s a drought. Some gardeners may have to put up a small fence to stop rabbits from chewing on them.
Carpenter said not to use pesticides or fertilizer on them. The plants won’t need extensive cleanup in the winter because they’re already growing seeds unground to bloom next spring.
The plant also become more resilient after they get a foothold, Carpenter said. In some drought years, she has seen plants going brown and dying, yet the native plants that have stuck around are still green and growing.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How to start a pollinator garden in Wisconsin this spring
Reporting by Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
