By: Maija Elizabeth
There is a major decline in the population of pollinators every year due to lack of recourses for them to survive! Whether you live in the middle of nowhere or a populated area, in an apartment or a house, I have some tips that might work for you. Here’s how you can make a pollinator oasis to benefit your local ecosystem!
- PLANT NATIVE FLOWERS!
Let’s start off with my favorite tip to attract pollinators! I have a pollinator garden with mostly native flower species and a few non-native perennials/ annuals. There can definitely be a happy medium as long as there’s nothing invasive! Research what zone you live in to find out what plants are native for you.
By planting native species, you can actually save money! Most native plants are perennials, which means they should come back every year by themselves. Not having to buy a lot of plants for our garden is a game changer. Some start growing back starting in March and by June everything has pretty much started to or has fully grown in. Of course, we do get some annuals to put on our pot hangers in the backyard (for self-care) that attract some pollinators. Flowers of many different colors can catch pollinators’ eyes and create a beautiful ambiance on your property.
- CREATE A WATER FEATURE!
On second thought, maybe this is my favorite tip! My dad built a little pond in our backyard that attracts pollinators and birds. The birds use the beach area to bathe and drink, and the pollinators find little areas of water in between rocks to drink from.
You don’t have to build a whole pond to attract pollinators and birds though. A bird bath or even a plant pot (with no drainage holes) will work great! We have a shoe tray contraption that we use as a bird bath, you can really use anything. Pollinators get dehydrated too, something that is not talked about enough. Although pollinators get hydration from flowers, due to extreme heat and climate change, all wildlife is really struggling to stay hydrated. Keeping up with cleaning those water sources is really important!
To prevent mosquitoes in water features, I love using fountains to keep the water moving! My pond has a waterfall that is connected to the electrical outlet in my backyard, but we also have solar fountains that work well in our other makeshift water features. If your balcony, walkway, or yard gets a good amount of sunlight then solar might be a great option for you. Cleaning fountains can make them last longer and maintain good water quality.
- AVOID SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS & PESTICIDES!
Leaving your property as natural as possible is best! Synthetic fertilizers can have effects on pollinators’ neurological systems and more. I highly recommend using natural fertilizers that have kelp or worm castings in them. My favorite fertilizer is from Elm Dirt and a little bit goes a long way!
Avoiding the use of pesticides is kind of a given if you’re trying to attract the right bugs. I know some situations get really out of hand though. So when that happens, use pesticides responsibly and intentionally making sure the wanted insects are less likely to be harmed!
- ATTRACT BIRDS!
Even though birds are not pollinators, attracting them and providing a safe habitat can benefit your local ecosystem! The birds in my yard are also a great pest control method, since they eat ants, flies, ticks, etc. The birds in my yard have even attracted a hawk, which I’m not the biggest fan of, but hawks can keep away unwanted creatures that could be around my yard’s surrounding area.
Ways to attract birds are setting up a variety of bird feeders, adding water features, and building/buying birdhouses for them to continue living nearby. If you create a nice place for them to live they will never want to leave! Having trees for birds to use as protection is also appreciated.
One more thing is that hummingbirds are considered pollinators! We try to find native plants that work best for hummingbirds too. They are most attracted to reds and pinks. The hummingbirds in my yard love our bee balm flowers the most. We also have the classic red feeders in different places to attract them.
All of those photos were taken in my backyard by my dad, Frank Fitzpatrick! Follow him on Instagram @fitzphotoandfun.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!
Hummingbirds and monarch butterflies are definitely my top two favorite pollinators that visit our yard! I would love to know what yours are. Living in a populated area, pollinators and other wildlife may not be interested in having habitats. For me, being that safe place for insects and birds is super rewarding. I hope you will take these tips with you to create your very own pollinator oasis. Check out my other posts and follow me on my socials to stay updated on any future posts!
Love, Maija.
Sustainably Maija 
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