Once the weather starts to cool down a little, the garden starts waking back up and I start seeing more bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds around again.
On top of my plans for the vegetable garden, I started thinking, why not give the pollinators somewhere to be and something to enjoy too? I love seeing them out there, so it makes sense to give them a reason to hang around.
And none of this has to be a big project. Most of it is pretty simple, and you may already be doing some of it without realizing it.
Think Beyond One Butterfly Plant
Milkweed gets a lot of attention when people talk about pollinator gardens, especially because of monarchs, but there are plenty of other plants that can make the garden inviting too.
For mine, I’m looking at autumn sage, fairy duster, zinnias, and marigolds. A mix like that gives bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds different things to visit as the season moves along.
And since I’m already adding flowers to the garden, I might as well choose some that are going to earn their keep a little.
Give Them Some Water
A shallow dish with little landing spots gives bees and butterflies somewhere to safely land and get a drink. Mine cost me about $3 to make.
I also like having a hummingbird feeder nearby. Partly for them, partly because I really enjoy watching them.
Give Them Somewhere to Stay
You can buy little bee houses pretty cheaply at garden centers and big box stores if you want to add one, but pollinators can be surprisingly resourceful about finding their own places too.
I’ve had carpenter bees move into a crack in a wall, and I’ve even had a bee take up residence in an old irrigation line that wasn’t being used anymore.
They really do not need much. Sometimes it is less about creating some elaborate setup and more about giving them a few places where they can tuck themselves away and leaving those spots alone when you realize somebody has moved in.
It Works Both Ways
This is probably the part I like most about the whole idea.
I am already putting time into the vegetable garden, and I need pollinators if I want a lot of those plants to really do well. They are out there helping things along whether I am paying attention to it or not.
At the same time, I genuinely enjoy having them around. Bees moving through the flowers, butterflies passing through, hummingbirds showing up at the feeder. It makes the garden feel busier in a good way.
And it gives me another excuse to stay outside for a while, which is never really a bad thing.
I think that is really why I want to make a little more room for them this fall.
I am already out there planting, watering, checking on things, and hoping the vegetable garden actually gives me something for all that effort. If a few flowers, a water dish, or a little shelter gives the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds a reason to stick around too, that feels like a pretty fair trade.
They help the garden do what I am asking it to do, they make it a nicer place for me to be, and, frankly, they are cute. I like having them around.
That feels like reason enough to make a little space for them.
