It’s National Pollinator Week

National Pollinator Week is winding down. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are among the pollinators we need to thrive and even survive. They provide pollination for fruits vegetables and herbs. Keep in mind wildlife depends on pollinators to keep their food supply growing.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers some suggestions on helping pollinators. They include:

Planting a variety of flowers

Keep your garden blooming all season long. Choose plants that provide pollen and nectar in the spring, summer and fall.

Provide nesting sites by allowing dead branches and logs to remain which will provide bare earth for ground-nesting insects.

Cut down on pesticide use

A few things I've noticed that really help pollinators include the flower nicotiana which really attracts  the hummingbirds. Raspberries and strawberries with their blossoms tend to attract bees and of course milk weed is an all time popular plant for pollinators.