Thank you to everyone that joined us at Lake Lure Flowering Bridge for our “Pollinator Day” on Saturday, June 27th. For anyone that was unable to attend, we are keeping the pollinator party going! If you have not been to the LLFB recently, stop by and see our newly planted gardens and visit the Education Center. We have educational exhibits and information on pollinator gardens, native plants, local native plant sources and much more.
Attract Pollinators to Your Garden
You can attract pollinators to your garden with container gardens specifically designed for bees, butterflies and birds. LLFB volunteer, Theodora Petrovich is our pollinator garden expert. Thea has curated a planting list for your outdoor container gardens that will help feed our bees and butterflies all summer long. This plant grouping will do best in a sunny spot.
Thea’s top recommendations for container gardens
Natives:
– Black Eyed Susans, particularly the goldstrum variety
– Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
– Marsh Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
– Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Non-Natives:
– Zinnias (the pollinators adore them!!)
– Cosmos
PRO TIP from our Education Center Director, Debbie Clark: Read those plant labels. When selecting your pollinator plants, choose Natives over Cultivars or Nativars. Native plants better support wildlife as they occur in the area naturally and have evolved in harmony over thousands of years. To learn more, visit the Education Center.
Want to up your pollinator game? Consider adding a water source near your garden. This is especially important for them during the hot summer months. Create a puddling station for the butterflies. Butterflies cannot land on water, so they get their moisture from muddy soil. A shallow bowl or saucer with a few marbles and water added makes a nice spot for the bees to get a drink. Creating pollinator water stations is a fun summer kids project. We’d love to see photos of your pollinator gardens so share pics of your creations with us on Facebook!
Planting plans are currently underway for the Pollinator Pathway Garden at the LLFB. Here is a sneak peak of a sampling of our working flowering plant list.
– Swamp Milkweed – Asclepias incarnata
– Goat’s Beard – Aruncus dioicus
– American Beautyberry – Callicarpa americana
– Flowering Dogwood – Cornus florida
– Tall Larkspur – Delphinium exaltatum
– Purple Coneflower – Echinacea purpurea
– Smooth Hydrangea – Hydrangea arborescens
– Eastern Smooth Beardtongue – Penstemon laevigatus
Please note that this list is catered to our site conditions (rich, moist soil). Flowering plants are just half of the necessary steps to support pollinators. Gardeners should also aim to plant host plants for pollinators they would like to attract to support their larval stage. You can find more information on our website and in our Education Center.
There is a lot to see and enjoy now on both ends of the gardens and in the Education Center. We are grateful to everyone that has contributed to our progress, and we are excited to continue to share updates with you. Visit us in person, or virtually at lakelurefloweringbridge.org and be a part of our rebuilding story.
