If you have a piece of the earth under your care, you have the power to help butterflies, bees, and other pollinators in a big way. We humans are very good at developing the land to meet our needs, but sometimes we forget about the needs of others. As a result, the other creatures we share the planet with are running out of places to go. It is easy to help them by just adding native plants to our landscapes.

Your native plant garden (of any size) can help native pollinators, like birds, butterflies, and bees, by giving them a food source and a place they can live. Butterflies and moths, for example, rely on specific native host plants to rear their young. It is a relationship that has evolved over geologic time. With native plants, you can turn your garden into a caterpillar nursery, attracting butterflies as well as parent birds who collect thousands of caterpillars to raise a single clutch to adulthood.

Years ago I planted Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower) outside my window. Every summer Goldfinch moms bring their new fledglings for lunch. I watch from my kitchen table as the mothers teach them to find seeds on their own, and am always amused at how clumsily they fly and how loudly they chirp. Every year I wait for them, and every year I am so glad they know they can find food in my garden.

My native plant garden has brought nature right to my own backyard. You can create a magical wildlife-supporting garden as well! Take a look at the resources page or contact me to learn more!