You are currently viewing Notes From the Gardens: The Smaller Pollinator Garden

Notes From the Gardens: The Smaller Pollinator Garden

A sunny spot in the Adopt-a-Plots struck me as the perfect space to plant a small pollinator garden as part of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens’ Plant for Pollinators Program. The garden is in a bit of limbo this year, a story that is not mine to share. It does give us the opportunity to show you, my gardening friends, how even small spaces are ideal for pollinator gardens.

First task on-hand was a bit of weeding to remove the invasive onions as well as the English ivy that was creeping into the plot. The bed has black-eyed Susans, peonies, a Russian Sage and some lamb’s ears.

The soil is quite nice. Many of the Adopt-a-Plot gardens have been amended over the years to create well-draining, organically rich material in which to plant. It’s in the full sun with one full length of the garden abutting a sidewalk that generates a bit more heat for the garden.

Eager to start planting, I added two Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’, one ‘Nectar’ and one ‘Heatwave’ as well as NepetaAllium ‘Millenium’ and Echinacea ‘Solar Flare’. And it wasn’t two days later when I was back at the garden adding three Blue Sea Holly (Eryngium) and two Geums

Watering is easy. The bed has irrigation. However, since I am opting for more water-wise plants, a little hand watering with a short hose will work. Typically I’m not a fan of hose watering, knowing full well that it’s often not done long enough to provide enough water for the plants. In this small space my patience will wane at about the time all plants have had a good drink.

If you would like to have a pollinator garden, or want to know how to amend an existing garden to attract more pollinators, call us. We can help with plant selection, installation and care.  We’ll even help you register your garden with the Zoo, if you like and secure for you an official Plant for Pollinators sign.

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