How To Build A Vertical Garden To Help Pollinators

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In recent times, there has been a push toward making gardens and green spaces more friendly for pollinators like bees and butterflies. Due to their loss of habitat, their numbers are dropping drastically, if left for too long, this will result in devastation to the ecosystem and issues with food production overall.

If you are an eco-warrior, or if you simply want to help your nearby bees and butterflies, you will be happy to know that you don’t need a wildflower meadow to do so. Even in the center of a city, you can still use the limited outdoor space that you may have to give your local pollinators a boost.

Native First!

Suppose you have a blank wall in your garden, and you want to help your nearby bees and butterflies by taking a shot at vertical gardening. How can you keep your bees and butterflies happy? By planting native wildflowers. This is important, as your local pollinators may not find that beautiful flowering shrub from South Africa very appetizing. So, start by looking into the wildflowers that are native to your state and start from there. 

Different Components

So, now you’ve got the butterflies and the bees buzzing and fluttering around your garden. But what about the caterpillars and the bee nurseries? Yes, there are plants that can help in these areas too. Many caterpillars like to chew on herbs to build up their strength before they go into their chrysalis, so aim to have as many of these host plants as possible. For bees, don’t throw out plants that have hollow stems; pile them in a small part of the garden for bees to sleep in. Also, always be sure that there is a bit of water and mud for your pollinators to drink from.

Plants For Each Season

It is true that many people associate the presence of bees and butterflies with early summer and late spring. However, these are not the only times that they are around; it is simply when they are more noticeable. Aim to plant flowering shrubs and bushes for all seasons of the year to support your pollinators. There are many herbs, like thyme or even heather that can easily be grown in a vertical garden all year-round while producing flowers. As before, make sure you have plenty of hollowed-out plant stems for bees to snuggle in on those colder days!

Wood Pile

As odd as it may sound, at the base of any vertical pollinator garden, there should be a log pile, preferably with some soil at the bottom of it. This will act as somewhere warm for the bees to nestle safely in the winter. Alongside being somewhere safe for caterpillars to land if they fall from the vertical wall of food!

Keep Watering!

If you are opting for a vertical garden, then the plants themselves will not have as much room to spread their roots as they would if they were in the ground. This means less soil, which can mean that the plants will become dehydrated much faster. Be sure to water your vertical garden twice a day in warmer weather, to keep those flowers blooming and your pollinators happy.