Grow a Buzz-Worthy Garden: Choosing Perennial Summer Favorites for Pollinators

• Perennial plants are low-maintenance powerhouses for attracting pollinators year after year.
• Choosing native plants adapted to your local climate offers the best results with minimal effort.
• Mass planting creates a more enticing food source for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
• Minimal garden cleanup provides crucial habitat and overwintering sites for pollinators.
• Avoiding pesticides is essential for protecting fragile pollinator populations.

Welcome to The Little Garden! As summer arrives and our gardens burst with life, one of the most rewarding sights is the gentle hum of bees and the flutter of butterflies dancing among the blooms. Creating a haven for these vital creatures is not only beneficial for our local ecosystems but also adds incredible beauty and dynamism to our landscapes. This season, we’re focusing on choosing perennial summer favorites for pollinators – plants that return year after year, providing consistent food and shelter for our buzzing and fluttering friends. Forget the hassle of replanting annuals; perennials offer a sustainable, low-maintenance approach to supporting pollinators, making it easier than ever to cultivate a garden that thrives and gives back.

Why Plant Perennials for Pollinators?

Perennials are garden superheroes. Unlike annuals that complete their life cycle in one season, perennials live for multiple years, often growing larger and more robust over time. This means a one-time planting can provide a reliable nectar and pollen source throughout the summer, becoming a predictable and vital part of the local pollinator food web. They establish strong root systems, making them more resilient to weather fluctuations and often requiring less water and fertilizer once established compared to their annual counterparts.

How to Choose the Best Perennial Pollinator Plants

Selecting the right perennials for your garden is key to attracting the most diverse range of pollinators. It’s a bit like setting out a welcome mat and offering a delicious buffet!

Go Native!

One of the simplest and most effective strategies is to prioritize native plants. Plants that have evolved in your specific region are naturally adapted to the local climate and soil conditions. This makes them easier to grow, requiring less fuss, and they are the plants that local pollinators recognize and rely on for sustenance and habitat. A garden filled with native perennials becomes a true extension of the natural landscape, perfectly supporting the insects and birds that call your area home.

Know Your Pollinators

Different pollinators have different preferences. Butterflies are often drawn to bright, warm colors like red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple, and they prefer flowers with a landing pad. Bees, on the other hand, are particularly fond of blues, purples, whites, and yellows, and they are attracted to the scent of flowers as well as visual cues. Hummingbirds are famously attracted to tubular red or orange flowers rich in nectar. Considering which pollinators you hope to attract can help you tailor your plant selections.

Plant in Groups

Think ‘group buffet’ rather than ‘single scattered snacks.’ Pollinators are more likely to spot and visit a large block of the same type of flower than individual plants dotted throughout the garden. Planting perennials in clusters or drifts of three or more creates a significant visual impact and makes it more efficient for pollinators to forage, as they can collect more nectar or pollen without expending as much energy flying between single plants.

Cluster of purple coneflowers attracting bees

Caring for Your Perennial Pollinator Garden

While perennials are generally low-maintenance, a few specific care tips can help your pollinator garden thrive and truly support its intended guests.

Embrace a Little Wildness

One of the best things you can do for your pollinator garden is to resist the urge to be too tidy. Fallen leaves, spent flower stalks, and hollow stems provide essential overwintering habitat for many beneficial insects, including native bees and butterfly larvae. Leaving some natural debris in place until late spring gives these helpful garden residents a safe place to shelter from the cold. Think of it as providing cozy winter lodging!

Provide Natural Food and Shelter

Beyond the flowers, consider adding other elements. A shallow dish of water with stones for landing can provide a much-needed drink. Adding a patch of moist soil or sand can offer minerals for butterflies (called puddling). Leaving some fruit scraps can attract certain butterfly species. Remember, a pollinator garden is a habitat, not just a collection of flowers.

Be Mindful of Pest Control

This is perhaps the most critical rule in a pollinator garden: avoid systemic pesticides at all costs, and use any pesticides judiciously as a last resort. Many common garden chemicals are highly toxic to bees and other beneficial insects, even in small amounts. If you must spray for a specific problem, choose the least toxic option available, target only the affected area, and spray late in the evening when pollinators are less active. Healthy plants grown in good conditions are often more resistant to pests naturally. Focus on building healthy soil and choosing the right plant for the right place.

Our Favorite Summer Perennial Pollinator Powerhouses

Ready to start planting? Here are some tried-and-true perennial favorites that consistently draw in pollinators and add spectacular color to the summer garden. We love these for their reliability and beauty.

Aromatic Allure: Fragrant Favorites

Pollinators, especially bees, are highly attracted to scent. These perennials fill the air with lovely fragrances that act like a beacon.

Provence Lavender

A classic for a reason! The scent of lavender is calming to us and irresistible to bees. This particular variety is known for its prolific blooms and strong fragrance.

• Scientific Name: Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’
• Common Name: Provence Lavender
• Zone: Typically 5-9
• Light: Full sun
• Water: Prefers well-drained soil, drought tolerant once established.

Frosty Fire Pinks Dianthus

These cheerful ‘Pinks’ offer a spicy clove-like fragrance and vibrant color over a long season. They are great for borders and rock gardens.

• Scientific Name: Dianthus ‘Frosty Fire’
• Common Name: Frosty Fire Pinks Dianthus
• Zone: Typically 4-9
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Water: Prefers well-drained soil, average water needs.

Deer Resistant Beauties

Deer can be a challenge for many gardeners. Fortunately, several pollinator favorites are less appealing to deer, allowing you to create a beautiful space without constant worry.

Moonshine Yarrow

This native plant boasts lovely ferny foliage and bright yellow flower heads that are magnets for beneficial insects. It’s tough, drought-tolerant, and deer usually leave it alone.

• Scientific Name: Achillea ‘Moonshine’
• Common Name: Moonshine Yarrow
• Zone: Typically 3-8
• Light: Full sun
• Water: Prefers well-drained soil, very drought tolerant.

Grape Gumball Bee Balm

True to its name, Bee Balm (Monarda) is a pollinator magnet! The ‘Grape Gumball’ variety offers unique, deep purple flowers and is known for its strong, upright habit. Deer tend to avoid its aromatic foliage.

• Scientific Name: Monarda ‘Grape Gumball’
• Common Name: Grape Gumball Bee Balm
• Zone: Typically 4-8
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Water: Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Needs consistent moisture, especially in full sun.

Day Break Tickseed

Blooming profusely with sunny yellow and red centers, this Coreopsis variety provides a feast for pollinators throughout summer and into fall. Its texture and strong scent are often unappealing to deer.

• Scientific Name: Coreopsis ‘Day Break’
• Common Name: Day Break Tickseed
• Zone: Typically 5-9
• Light: Full sun
• Water: Prefers well-drained soil, relatively drought tolerant once established.

Long-Blooming Performers

Getting continuous color and food sources from late spring through fall is key for supporting pollinators throughout the season. These perennials are workhorses in the garden.

Purrsian Blue Catmint

A vigorous and long-blooming perennial that forms lovely mounds of purplish-blue flowers. Catmint is highly attractive to bees and butterflies and is deer-resistant.

• Scientific Name: Nepeta faassenii ‘Purrsian Blue’
• Common Name: Purrsian Blue Catmint
• Zone: Typically 3-8
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Water: Prefers well-drained soil, drought tolerant once established.

Grosso Lavender

Similar to ‘Provence’ but often larger with slightly darker violet-blue blooms, ‘Grosso’ is another superb, fragrant lavender that is a favorite of bees and has an exceptionally long blooming period.

• Scientific Name: Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’
• Common Name: Grosso Lavender
• Zone: Typically 5-9
• Light: Full sun
• Water: Prefers well-drained soil, drought tolerant once established.

Conclusion

Choosing perennial summer favorites for pollinators is one of the most impactful things a gardener can do for local wildlife and the health of our environment. By selecting native or well-adapted plants, grouping them for maximum impact, and adopting pollinator-friendly care practices, you can create a vibrant, low-maintenance garden that hums and flutters with life all summer long. We hope this guide inspires you to plant for pollinators this season!

Have you planted any of these pollinator favorites in your garden? Do you have other perennials you recommend? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below! Don’t forget to share this article with your fellow garden enthusiasts, and explore more gardening tips and inspiration on Thelittle.garden.