Buzzing with Excitement: 10 Pollinator-Friendly Tips for Your Garden

Okay, so I need to confess something: last week I literally squealed out loud when I spotted my first little guy checking out the bee hotel I built. My partner thought I’d seen a spider, but nope. Just me, fully geeking out over a tiny pollinator deciding that I was worthy. It felt like such a win for my garden.

If you’ve been following my Instagram, you know I’ve been on a mission to transform my small suburban plot into a pollinator paradise. Not just because it’s good for the planet, but because there’s something truly magical about stepping outside with your morning coffee and watching butterflies dance through your flowers.

Here’s the thing: these little creatures need our help. Between habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change, our pollinators are struggling. But here’s the interesting part: your backyard (or balcony, or community garden plot, or whatever) can make a real difference! And no, you don’t need to be an expert. Three years ago, I mistakenly planted mint in the ground. Mint! Now I’m out here creating ecosystem services like it’s my job. Well, okay, it kinda is my job. Still!

Let’s dive into my top 10 tips for making your space into a pollinator’s dream home!

1. Plant Native Flowering Species

When I swapped half my generic annuals for native plants, the pollinator traffic basically tripled. It’s been a major game changer! Native plants and local pollinators have been in a relationship for thousands of years. They just get each other.

Some pollinator superstar flowers you’ll see across North America:

• Purple coneflower (Echinacea)
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
• Bee balm (Monarda) (Pro Tip: Some monarda varieties can spread aggressively (like mint-level invasive!). Look for Proven Winners or Monrovia brands which offer more well-behaved cultivars.)
• Milkweed (Asclepias)
• Aster
• Goldenrod
• Lantana (Butterflies and bees absolutely love these, especially bright-colored varieties! Just keep them away from water sources, septic tanks, and irrigation lines as their roots can be quite adventurous.)

2. Create a Blooming Calendar

I used to have major FOMO scrolling through garden accounts in August when my spring-heavy garden was looking... well, sparse. Now I plan for continuous blooms!

Try to have something flowering from early spring through late fall:

• Spring: Columbine, fruit tree blossoms, crocus
• Summer: Lavender, sunflowers, zinnias, bee balm
• Autumn: Sedum, asters, goldenrod

I track everything in my garden journal and update my bloom calendar each season. My GARDENA GripCut is perfect for deadheading spent blooms to encourage more flowering. They’re precise enough for delicate stems but also sturdy enough for the woody ones. Plus, it holds onto what you're cutting off, making discard so much easier.

3. Embrace “Chaos Gardening”

Let’s normalize “chaos gardening” instead of just calling it messy! That perfectly manicured lawn? It can be a major food desert for pollinators. Making your lawn look neat and tidy is important, but diversifying your landscape will pay off. You can easily maintain both by keeping your "chaos" confined to your garden beds and raised planters.

How to be strategically “messy”:

• Leave fallen leaves as natural mulch (free nutrients!)
• Keep some bare soil patches for ground-nesting bees
• Let seed heads stand through winter (food for birds AND winter interest)
• Convert a part of your lawn to a meadow (if that's your vibe)
• Plant densely in clusters (Bonus: this helps shade out weeds naturally!)

4. DIY Bee Hotel (Easier Than You Think!)

This weekend project took me less than an hour but has provided endless entertainment. I’ve spotted at least three different species of solitary bees moving in!

Simple Bee Hotel:

1. Find a wooden block or log (6-8 inches deep)
2. Drill holes of various sizes (2-10mm diameter, 4-6 inches deep)
3. Mount the block at least 3 feet off the ground, facing south or southeast
4. Add a small roof overhang to protect from rain
5. Sit back and watch your tiny tenants arrive!

5. Create a Butterfly Puddling Station

This might be the easiest project ever, but it looks so intentional that visitors think I'm a genius gardener.

Butterfly Puddling Station:

1. Find a shallow, brightly colored dish or plant saucer (red, orange, or purple work great to attract pollinators!)
2. Fill it with sand and a few flat rocks
3. Add water until the sand is damp but not submerged
4. Sprinkle in a pinch of sea salt or wood ash
5. Place in a sunny, protected spot

I keep my GARDENA 3 Spray Nozzle nearby to top up both water features during hot days. The adjustable nozzle creates the perfect gentle mist, so I don’t flood the setup. For larger garden areas, the GARDENA AquaZoom Oscillating Sprinkler provides a gentle shower that benefits both plants and creates temporary puddles that pollinators appreciate on hot days.

Pro Tip: The more water sources and flowering plants you add, the more you’ll notice an entire ecosystem developing. First come pollinators, then birds, frogs, lizards, and toads. It’s super addicting to watch your garden come alive!

6. Lady Bug Lodge

Just one ladybug can eat up to 5,000 aphids in its lifetime, making them the ultimate garden allies. I’ve been working on attracting more of these spotted garden guardians with this simple lodge.

Lady Bug Lodge:

1. Gather hollow stems (bamboo, reeds, or sunflower stalks) cut to 6-inch lengths
2. Bundle them together with garden twine
3. Place the bundle horizontally in a sheltered location
4. Add a few dead leaves and small twigs inside a small wooden box with narrow slits
5. Position in a sunny spot near plants that tend to attract aphids

I use my GARDENA Garden Pruners to cut the stems to equal lengths. They make clean cuts that don’t crush the hollow centers, which is super important for creating the right sizes of tunnels.

Pro Tip: You can actually purchase ladybugs at many local garden centers. They’re great for releasing during aphid outbreaks! Just keep them away from your home, as they can sometimes migrate indoors when temperatures drop.

7. Say NO to Pesticides (Even the “Natural” Ones)

Embarrassing confession time... During my first gardening season, I panic-sprayed aphids with a store-bought “organic” spray and ended up killing a bunch of beneficial insects too. Oh gosh, what a mess! Now I know better.

Instead, you need to:

• Plant companions like marigolds, nasturtiums, and herbs to naturally repel pests
• Use floating row covers during pest pressure peaks
• Accept some nibbled leaves as part of the ecosystem
• Give aphid-covered plants a strong blast with your favorite hose (the jet setting works wonders here!)
• Hand-pick larger pests while listening to podcasts (weirdly enough, it’s very therapeutic)

8. Provide Water Sources

We had a heatwave last summer that was absolutely brutal, and I started noticing exhausted bees on my patio. Now I maintain several “bee baths” throughout the garden. These are super easy to make yourself!

Bee Bath:

• Use a shallow dish, bird bath, or plant saucer
• Add rocks or marbles that rise above water level (Call them landing pads!)
• Fill with just enough water to reach the top of the rocks
• Change water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding
  

9. Group Plants in Clusters

When I first started gardening, I was like a plant collector. I had to have one of everything, all spaced out. Turns out, that’s not ideal for pollinators who prefer buffet-style dining rather than some scattered snacks.

Plant in clusters of at least 3-5 plants of the same species to:

1. Help pollinators forage more efficiently
2. Create those Insta-feed-worthy waves of color
3. Improve pollination success rates
4. Naturally suppress weeds (less space for them to grow!)

10. Reduce Your Lawn (Your Weekends Will Thank You)

Okay, so hot take: lawns can be a little overrated at times. Don’t come for me! The summer I replaced a quarter of my front lawn with pollinator beds was revolutionary. More buzzing bees, fewer hours pushing a mower, and my water bill dropped. Win-win-win!

GARDENA has also revolutionized the game with the all-new SILENO flex, which has made upkeep on what's left of my lawn a million times easier. I don't regret my decision one bit, either. It's so much fun watching my sweet robot just whizzing about, all while still avoiding the newer patches I've set up for pollinators.

You can start small by:

• Expanding existing garden beds by a foot or two
• Creating island beds in the middle of the lawn
• Replacing struggling lawn patches with native groundcovers
• Converting edges and slopes to pollinator patches

Be the Change Your Ecosystem Needs

The coolest thing about gardening for pollinators? It’s contagious! My next-door neighbor saw my front yard transformation and started her own pollinator patch. Now we regularly text each other pictures of butterfly sightings and trade native plant divisions.

Whether you have acres to work with or just a tiny apartment balcony with room for a few containers, you can create habitat that helps these essential creatures. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about working with nature instead of against it.

Tag me in your pollinator garden photos! I’m always looking for new ideas and would love to see what you create. You can find me here at @DinaPGardiner, and GARDENA at @GARDENA.USA.