Essential Guidelines for Creating Pollinator-Friendly Gardens

Thanks to Judy Terry and the Press-Citizen for allowing me to discuss gardening. Her three decades of columns, now compiled in the book Garden Walks with Judy, are greatly appreciated. This week, I want to highlight the importance of pollinators in maintaining our gardens, food production, and ecosystems. While honey bees are often in the spotlight, North America is home to many native bee species, including bumble bees, as well as butterflies, moths, birds, flies, beetles, and bats, all of which are crucial for pollination. Pollinator gardens are essential in addressing biodiversity loss, which is threatened by habitat destruction, industrial farming, pesticides, diseases, and climate change. The decline in pollinator populations poses risks to food supplies, as about one-third of American food relies on animal pollinators.