Create Your Own Pollination Station

Making the Most of Florida’s Natural Beauty

by Gillian Rabold

With spring now in full swing and the heat of summer well on its way, local flowers are in bloom and the lush green leaves on the trees have returned. Here along the Gulf Coast, this change of season also brings a variety of pollinators to our home gardens. These pollinators include everything from insects and birds to different types of mammals, which help with the process of fertilization. Summertime also means that the kids are out of school for summer vacation. One way you can have some fun with your little ones at home this summer and help the community at the same time, is by planting your own pollinator garden.

Pollinator plants are flowering plants that provide the nectar and pollen that is essential for pollinating insects and birds to survive. Pollinator gardens are composed of a variety of these often native plants grouped together in order to enrich the habitat of native pollinators like caterpillars, bees, butterflies, birds, bats or beetles. A thriving pollinator community helps to keep the ecosystem balanced by moving pollen from plant to plant. One important part of a pollinator garden is to give pollinators a space with plants native to that area.

“[Native Plants] thrive without additional care post-establishment, as long as plants are chosen to fit the growing conditions of the site (sunlight and soil moisture),” Ashley Moore, owner of Native Plant Company in Milton, said.

Moore studied horticulture at the University of Florida, with a special focus on landscaping and non-native ornamental plants. She changed her focus to native plants after continuously coming back to the idea of the natural beauty of plants in the wild, which led to her dedicating her time to re-creating the natural beauty of Florida.

“There are so many benefits [to using native plants],” Moore explained. "[They] can save homeowners a lot of money lost watering and fertilizing their landscape, and save the river systems and bays from runoff pollution. Native plant and animal habitats are also being lost to land development at an alarming rate in our area, and planting natives in your landscape could literally make the difference of extinction or survival for some of these species. It's a very powerful idea."

Tips for Creating a Successful Pollinator Garden at Home

• Provide a habitat for pollinators by planting native plants.

• Offer pollinators a drink. Pollinators get thirsty just like us, so consider adding a shallow dish with water and rocks into your garden. The ideal shallow dish could be a drain dish typically used for plant pots, and the rocks in the dish would give thirsty pollinators a spot to perch while hydrating.

• Leave the leaves. When leaves begin to fall from the plants, they can still create food or shelter for the pollinators. Don’t worry about trying to rake or remove the leaves or petals that fall to the ground, because they will decompose providing the soil with nutrients.

• Limit the use of pesticides. By starting a pollinator garden, you are creating a space where pollinators will thrive. If pesticides are introduced to this environment, they could destroy the very space you’ve worked to create by endangering the pollinators that live there.

• Offer variety. They say, “variety is the spice of life,” so consider planting a variety of native plants that bloom at different times throughout the year to support pollinators year round.

When looking to begin your pollinator garden, there is no space too big or too small to start, so don’t let space be a deterrent. There are many resources available to assist you in your pollinator garden journey, regardless of your experience level. A few of the resources that focus specifically on native Florida plants are the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS), Florida Wildflower Foundation, Florida Association of Native Nurseries and The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Moore advises to “be patient, do your research and understand that the entire landscape industry is built upon growing and planting nonnatives. For more information on Florida gardening and pollinator gardens, visit gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu.

Perfect Plants for Pollinators

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences offers a rich database of resources for Florida-Friendly plants and sustainable landscape practices. Here are a few Florida native plants they recommend.

Flowers

• Anise hyssop produces lovely flowers that can be appreciated by gardeners and pollinators alike. It is very easy to grow and is drought tolerant once established.

• Black-eyed Susan is a sunny wildflower that is easy to grow and tough as nails. Bees and butterflies love these flowers, which also can look great when cut and placed in vases. It's a good flower for coastal gardens, being tolerant of both drought and salt.

• Cannas are heat-loving perennials that add lush color and texture to Florida gardens. The beautiful flowers come in shades of pink, yellow, orange and red.

• Coral honeysuckle is a native honeysuckle vine known for its bright red or yellow tubular flowers that bloom in spring and summer.

• Gaillardia is a native perennial that has bright flowers that bloom through the summer and into the fall. Flowers come in a variety of forms and colors and the plants reseed themselves.

• Marigolds are reliable Florida annuals that bloom mainly in a range of yellows and oranges.

• Nasturtiums are annuals that grow in dwarf or trailing forms and boast numerous red, orange or yellow flowers.

• Passion flower is a perennial flowering vine. This plant can be grown easily and sports gorgeous large purple, lavender or white flowers.

• Pentas are perennial flowering plants that shine through the warm summer months and an array of reds, pinks and purples. They are a favorite for butterflies.

• Purple coneflower is a beautiful perennial that, despite its name, isn’t always purple (the native species is purple).

• Salvias are great plants, and there are hundreds of annual and perennial species that come in an array of colors and sizes.

• Sunflowers come in many cheerful varieties, some of which reach a height of eight feet or more when given the right conditions.

Shrubs and Trees

• Buttonbush is a native shrub that grows best in wet conditions, making it ideal for bog gardens and pond landscaping. It attracts several different pollinators, including native bees.

• Chaste tree is a large, deciduous shrub or small tree that puts on a show with attractive clusters of bluish-purple flowers from spring to fall.

• Saw palmetto grows wild in Florida's natural areas, but it's also a great plant for home landscapes throughout the state.

• Seagrape is a native of coastal areas that features bold evergreen foliage and colorful fruits.

• Walter’s viburnum is a Florida native that grows as a small tree or shrub and features a mass of small white flowers in the spring.