Pollinator Garden

 

The Lewes Community Garden created a new pollinator garden in 2023 to benefit our hard-working pollinators and bring more of them to our garden.

The garden provides an important food source and shelter for many types of native bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, and birds, all of which we rely on for pollination of our food crops.

Recent studies have shown pollinators are in decline, primarily due to loss of habitat and food sources. Our pollinator garden serves as an educational tool to encourage and inspire visitors to incorporate pollinator plants into home gardens and landscapes.

The plants in our pollinator garden are native and native cultivars. Planting native species is vital to supporting pollinators.  We’ve included several “keystone” plants in our garden such as goldenrod, echinacea, and coreopsis. According to studies, keystone plants are of greater benefit to wildlife than other plants. Without keystone plants in the landscape, butterflies, native bees, and birds will not thrive.  Over 90% of our terrestrial birds are supported by keystone plants.  

For additional information about the plants in our garden, please see our pollinator garden plant list . To learn more, visit the Homegrown National Park website which has valuable information and guidance on supporting our pollinators and ecosystems, including native plant resource lists.

Funding for the pollinator garden was provided in part through a grant from the First State Resource Conservation and Development Council.  Cindy Porter, a Sussex County Master Gardener and LCG volunteer, provided consultation and advice on the layout and plant material and donated plant material as well. She and other volunteers watered plants during the first summer season so roots could establish well. We appreciate her leadership and the support of pollinator garden volunteers.

TIPS FOR BUILDING A POLLINATOR GARDEN HABITAT

• Use plants of various heights to create a three-dimensional look. This provides protection and places for hiding and nesting.
• Plant so you cannot see the ground but leave a small space of bare soil for bee nesting.
• Use native plants and incorporate “keystone” plants. Avoid native cultivars and hybrids that change the shape of the flowerhead because pollinators may not be able to reach the food.
• Plant for blooms in all seasons and with multiple colors.
• Plant in large groups -- this makes it more efficient for the pollinator.
• Include herbs -- mint, garlic, chives, parsley, lavender, oregano. Plant in pots for control of spread.
• Include annuals -- zinnias, cosmos, single sunflowers.
• Minimize or eliminate the use of pesticides -- use integrated pest management (IPM) approach
• Leave it be for the winter. Cut stalks at 12” to 18” in late spring instead so that bees have a place to rear young.