Sustaining life

Why pollinator gardens are important

year! This could be a “showy” garden with masses of flowers blooming over the seasons—always something new coming up. Why? Because you are advertising—or your plants are. “Hey, pick up my pollen! My nectar is delicious. Come closer, please!”

Who cares about pollinators? We do; we’re gardeners! But why are they important? Pollen—a powdery substance necessary for plant reproduction—is the only source of protein for pollen eaters or “palynivores.” Honeybees, some beetle species, pollen mites (tiny eight legged creatures), some butterflies and moths, some flies, some spiders, and some birds eat pollen.

Since pollen cannot move on its own, it is carried by wind, water, or insects, birds, and other creatures. Pollen is so tough that it is even found in fossil records at the bottom of lakes. That’s how we know what used to grow here!

Pollen from different plants is different in shape, size, and color, and how much nutrition it carries. I love watching honeybees return to their hives with their pollen baskets (located on their legs) filled. If the basket is filled with orange pollen, it’s from asparagus. If it’s from pear trees, it will be reddish yellow. If it is from the herb borage, it is rather gray. Pollen needs to get from the male part (stamen) of a flower to the female part (pistil); sometimes this is in the same flower. Other times, it’s transferred to another flower of the same type. And this is why creatures that visit blooming plants are so important. While they are taking care of themselves, they may also be taking care of us.

Did you notice I just wrote “may”? That’s because not all food depends on pollinator insects! Oats, wheat, rye, maize, rice, and other cereal grains don’t need pollinators. Bananas, pineapples, and grapes don’t depend on pollinators. Some plants selfpollinate without any other creature getting involved.

But if you eat apples, cherries, blueberries, peaches, plums, almonds—you perhaps have heard about truckloads of honeybees be trucked to California to pollinate almond trees--watermelon, kiwi, or pumpkins, you’re depending on pollinators to get those to your table.

Have you ever found pollen on your car? This comes from gymnosperms—pines, yew, spruce for example. These are wind pollinated plants so to be successful, they have to produce gigundous (love that word!) amounts of pollen. Pollen carried in the air tends to be small and light, so plants that produce this pollen usually have no petals or nectar; insects only come to them if nothing else is available.

Pollen produced by pretty plants, such as those commonly grown in gardens, is heavy, sticky, and full of protein. Stand near your garden and watch and you might see pollen sticking to insects, especially hairy ones. These pollen grains are chock full of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates. That is the reason that “good honey” is strained to get out bee parts and bits of wax but not filtered; filtering removes pollen and much flavor.

If you have a true pollinator garden, you will be growing plants with flowers during three seasons of the

Double-flowered plants have extra rows of petals that make it difficult for pollinating insects to get their bodies and tongues into the flowers to reach the nectaries. Examples include pompom dahlias, certain hybrid tea roses, and mop head chrysanthemums. Then there are pollenless sunflowers that contain sterile male flowers, that offer no pollen but may have nectar that attracts insects. Pollonless plants are welcomed by wedding planners and florists—less mess.

One reason I love gardening so much is that there is always something new happening in my gardens. I was delighted last year when Sue Martin from the Buffalo News commented in late August that there were still so many plants in bloom and much buzzing and flying of insects. She noticed! Grow a pollinator garden! You will see bees, wasps, flies, hummingbird moths, butterflies….beautiful, sometimes messy...wonderful!

I love hearing from you: caharlos@ verizon.net FY

Carol Ann Harlos is an awardwinning retired math and science teacher, Master Gardener, beekeeper, writer, and speaker. She tends extensive gardens, including herbs, and loves learning from others and sharing her knowledge.