About this book
Few sights are as charming as a hummingbird hovering over cardinal flowers in your backyard or a butterfly lighting on the black-eyed Susans potted on your balcony. Yet pollinators do more than beguile us: they are key to a healthy environment. With many pollinators threatened and their habitats disappearing, gardeners can make a real difference by planting native species that support these amazing creatures. The trick is knowing what species to plant and how to help them thrive.
If you're a gardener (or aspiring gardener) in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, or Great Lakes region of the USA, this beautiful 4-colour guide will become your go-to reference to the most beneficial plants in your area. It includes profiles of more than 300 native plants, featuring lovely illustrations and photos, information on blooming periods, exposure, soil moisture, and good plant companions, as well as how each species supports specific pollinators.
You'll learn more about common plants you thought you knew and be introduced to species you may have never encountered before. Blooming flowers, native grasses, trees, shrubs, vines, and plants for rain and pond gardens are all included. White Baneberry, Woodland Strawberry, Boneset, Virginia Mountain Mint, Smooth Aster, and many others may find their way from these pages to your soil.
While understanding specific plants is key, so too are growing strategies. Here you'll learn how to prepare your site and find sample garden designs, whether your growing space is an apartment balcony, a residential yard, or a community garden. Throughout, you'll discover the power of plants to not only enrich your personal environment but to support the pollinators necessary for a thriving planet.
Contents
Foreword by Douglas Tallamy
Introduction: Pollinators Bring Life
Chapter 1: The Rusty-Patched Bumblebee and Other Native
- Pollinators
- A Primer on the Pollination of Flowering Plants
- The Scoop on Honeybees
Chapter 2: Native Plants Matter
- Native Plants
- But Don’t Non-Native Plants Attract Pollinators, Too?
- All Green Is Not Green!
- What About Cultivars of Native Plants?
- Where to Find Native Plants
- The Climate Change Connection
- Diversity, Diversity, Diversity
Chapter 3: Starting Your Garden for Native Pollinators
- Site Preparation
- Designing Your Pollinator Patch
- Native Plants for Containers
- Turning Lawns into Gardens
- Planting Your Patch
- Maintaining Your Patch
- Native Herbaceous Plants for Pollen Specialists
- As Your Garden Grows
- Adding Native Plants to an Existing Garden Bed
- From Plants…to Plant Communities
- Beyond the Patch
- Nesting Sites and Overwintering Habitat for Native Bees
- Checklist for Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Yard and Garden
Chapter 4: Profiles of Native Plants
- Spring-Blooming Native Plants
- Summer-Blooming Native Plants
- Fall-Blooming Native Plants
- Native Grasses and Sedges
- Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines
- Rain Gardens
- Pond and Bog Gardens
- Ask for Me—and Grow the Native Plant Movement
- Boulevard (a.k.a. “hell-strip”) Gardens
- Concerns…and Reassurances
- Great Combinations of Native Perennials for a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
Chapter 5: Sample Garden Designs
- Balcony Garden
- Community Garden
- Public Patch
- High-Density Residential
- Residential Garden
Chapter 6: Resources
- Native Plant Ranges
- Native Plant Groups
- Native Plant Nurseries
- Selected Books
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Authors
Customer Reviews
Biography
Lorraine Johnson has been researching and writing about environmental issues for three decades. Johnson is the author or editor of fourteen books, including 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for American Gardens in Temperate Zones and Grow Wild!
Sheila Colla is a Conservation Scientist working to conserve wildlife including native pollinators. She is part of York University's Bee Research Organization BeeC, which aims to address pollinator health and sustainable agriculture from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Ann Sanderson has an undergraduate degree in zoology and biology from the University of Toronto and attended the Science Illustration program at the University of California in Santa Cruz. She is now a freelance illustrator in Toronto, ON.
