Yesterday the bumblebees were out in force at my P-Patch. I found this guy just a few plots away head first in a mass of purple flowers. He was completely oblivious to me. So I got up close. Really close. I could see pollen clinging to his little hairy body. 

It was awesome! And also a totally appropriate way to spend my evening, because this week is the 2^nd annual National Pollinator Week. I think that you’ll understand why pollinators deserve their very own week when you ponder these facts I discovered at the Pollinator Partnership and Xerces Society websites:

70% to 80% of the world’s flowering plants require pollination to produce fruit and seeds. This includes 30% of the crops humans eat, including common garden crops like squash, melons, and blueberries.

Nearly 200,000 insects pollinate plants, but they aren’t the only players in the pollination game.  About 1000 species of birds, bats, and small mammals also act as pollinators.

4000 species of native bees live in North America.

The estimated value of insect pollinated crops in just the United States was $20 billion in 2000.

Diseases, pests, habitat decline, pesticides, and climate change pose a major threat to pollinators, but gardeners can help!

The Xerces Society has an excellent article on DIY nests you can build for native bees, including bumblebees and orchard mason bees. You can also design your garden to be more pollinator friendly. 

Grow natives. Our native pollinators evolved with native plants, so growing a diverse range of natives that bloom from early spring through winter helps provide a consistent food source for insects.

Go organic. Pesticides don’t just kill insect pests, they kill beneficial insects, including pollinators. Pesticides that kill more than just the target insect are called broad spectrum, and even organic pesticides (like pyrethrum and rotenone) can be broad spectrum. If you have an issue with an insect pest, focus on preventing the problem in the future rather than reaching for a spray. My go-to resource for dealing with garden problems organically is the Insect, Disease & Weed ID Guide (Rodale, 2001). It’s a very practical and easy- to-use book…my copy is falling apart because I look at it so much!

Provide water. Pollinators get thirsty, too. Make sure they have a place to drink in your garden by putting a few small rocks in a shallow tray and setting it in your garden. Fill the tray with water and then sit back and watch as all sorts of insects pay it a visit. Change the water daily to prevent a mosquito problem.

If you’re interested in discovering more tips for making your yard a better pollinator habitat, definitely check out the Xerces Society—a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon dedicated to invertebrate conservation—and the Pollinator Partnership, a group of 90 organizations that teamed up to help educate people about pollinators. I also really love the blog Pollinators Welcome. Gloria has planted her yard with pollinators in mind and her posts are always full of great tips, ideas, and facts about pollinators.

Here’s a look at a few other flowers that got some buzz love from the bees last night:

Parsley flowers provide tons of nectar

A highly fragrant, old fashioned rose

Thyme blossoms attract tiny native bees