Bee a Good Neighbor: Remember Pollinators When Preparing Your Spring Garden

As the days warm up, it's not just plants that are waking up from the winter, pollinators are nestled into your garden waiting to | £2|
emerge. Follow these tips to provide them the space and time they need to wake up and contribute to your gardening efforts. \

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'ollinating

a.

Leave these for the bees. Pollinators overwinter in hollow stems, piles of wood, and leaf litter. Leave
garden beds and plant materials undisturbed over the winter until you see pollinator activity in the spring.

Keep soil still. Avoid tilling in areas that appear to have insect activity or where you've seen ground
nesting pollinators in the past. When planting, leave some areas bare for ground nesting.

Refill your water feature. Fill up your fountains and bird baths to provide a source of clean water for
emerging pollinators.

Keep it chemical free. Do not use pesticides or herbicides as they may harm pollinators and their
habitat.

Think locally when planting. Incorporate a diverse mix of native plants best suited for your climate
and region. Visit pollinator.org/guidesfor ecoregional planting guides.

Create a garden debris

Butterfly

Leave

sticks

and

pile

round

provide

habitat

stems

to

area

some

year

for

pollinators

Beetes

Ground
nesting bees

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