The Accidental Pollinator Garden

I want to tell a story about creating an accidental pollinator garden. I just had pavers put in my back yard, and after doing so, I could not get the grass to grow around the pavers. It was the one spot in my yard that created an eye sore. So I decided to plant a flow garden. I don't know much about gardening, but now it was time to jump right in and learn. So I went to Home Depot with my kids and let them help me pick out some flowers.

I grabbed some Gladiolus bulbs, Marigold plants, Zinnia seeds, a Lavender plant and some ground cover plants. My thought was, "This shouldn't be too complicated." I had no idea what I was doing, but that is how I felt about it. I got started planting the seeds and plants in an array that would be captivating to the eye (so I thought) once the seeds started growing and the plants started thriving.

I started with the bare spot, I leveled it out, removed the rocks, and I used a hand tool called the mini-rake, or hand cultivator to loosen up the soil for planting the seeds prior to adding some quality top soil. I used a mini shovel to dig a hole to plant the flower bulbs. I did not use any weed prevention fabric in case this did not work. It is important to read the back of your seed packages so that you can make sure you put the plants in the soil the right depth, and spread them apart far enough to give them space to grow. Once the seeds were planted I bought some mulch, and spread it around thinly until the flowers started to grow, and then I added more to keep the weeds at bay.

I had plenty of time to stare at the bare spot to know that it got plenty of sun. I started planting the flowers, bulbs, and seeds with my son and daughter, and realized how much fun we were having together. It dawned on me that it was therapeutic, engaging, and allowed us to spend time together as a family. That is very important to me. Teaching my children something that would be beneficial to them now and in the future was worth every moment.

Over time the plants started getting bigger, the ground cover spread, and the bulbs and seeds started sprouting. It was so amazing to watch these seeds sprout into beautiful flowers. The children and I found ourselves outside daily just amazed at the process for each plant we put into the ground.

The Gladiolus started with rich green spiky foliage, and once that happened the beautiful flowers started to grow tall and bloom. The Zinnias grew they green foliage and the flowers started to sprout, and the most amazing thing started to happen. The pollinators started to come. We started seeing bees, butterflies, humming birds, and other beautiful pollinating creatures. It was so beautiful to sneak a peek of a hummingbird feeding on the flowers while their wings flapped 100 miles an hour, or the butterflies perched while feeding, and the bees buzzing around getting their share. The compliments started pouring in. "Oh my goodness, your flower garden is so beautiful, we can see the butterflies and birds flocking to your yard!"

We learned that you can cut the flowers and put them in water as a bouquet. You don't even have to go to the store to buy fresh flowers. It made our home some beautiful, not to mention how wonderful it smelled. I learned how to harvest the seeds from the flowers and save them for next year. The Gladiolus bulbs can also be reused each year once the foliage dies, you dig them up and store them for the next season.

This whole experience encouraged me to learn and teach my children how important it is for us to have pollinators on this earth. There would be no flowers, or vegetation for us to eat if not for them. Some of the flowers that grow would not be able to reproduce. The birds, butterflies, and bees that we started to see daily would not have any food to eat. The role of pollinators is part of a big ecosystem that so many people don't even think about when they go to the store to buy their food.

Please be encouraged by my experience to plant pollinating flowers where you can in your yard, especially if there is a big ugly spot to fill. It will make your home beautiful, and keep our pollinators fed, and keep our food growing.