Did you know that bee and butterfly populations have been dwindling significantly over the last few years? As more and more people use pesticides to control unwanted insects, important pollinators are also getting killed off. Did you also realize that the majority of what we eat depends on these amazing pollinators. Think for a minute about what you eat in a given day. Does any of that food come from plants? Honey? Nuts? Meat? Yes, meat. The animals that provide the meat you eat, eat plants. Without plants, our entire food supply would disappear.
I recently learned about Project Pollinator from a friend. It is a program through the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House here in St. Louis. If you are not local to St. Louis, look up your local conservation department and inquire about a similar program. They do a few plant sales a year of plants that are native and will attract native pollinators.
I was in need of new shrubs for the front of my house as when we moved in, all the ones the flippers planted were dead. They have looked awful up there and I was looking for some replacements. When I heard about Project Pollinator, I was excited to support them. During the April sale, I ordered two Hazelnut and one New Jersey Tea shrubs. I have 6 shrubs to replace but there were only the two varieties available. They were $10 each which, if you have priced out shrubs at the nurseries, you would know that is cheap.
Here are the beauties that got delivered to me today. The round bases are the Hazelnut and the square one is the New Jersey Tea. I am so excited to get these in the ground tomorrow and see how they grow and develop. They don’t look like much now but once they mature, they should be beautiful.
Check out what else they left me! I got myself an awesome I Support Pollinators shirt. It is such a soft shirt too and the butterfly is beautiful. I love butterflies and am so excited to see which ones will pay a visit to my shrubs.
There is a second plant sale going on right now so be sure to jump over to their website and order some before they are gone. They only offer a limited number. I was able to snag three more shrubs to fill my front rock bed. This time I got a Spice Bush and two Wild Hydrangeas. I am super stocked about the hydrangeas. They are so beautiful!
Have you planted anything special to attract these much needed pollinators? Are there plants already in your yard that you often see them on? If so, please comment and tell me. I’m always looking for new, beautiful plants to add to my yard.