Pollinator Garden Growing Guide
*Feed the pollinators. Feed the soil. Feed your soul.*
TN Pollinator Garden Planting Guide
Planting a pollinator garden is a simple yet powerful way to support bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects that are essential to our food system. These gardens provide critical habitat and food sources for pollinators whose populations are declining due to habitat loss and pesticides. In return, pollinators help increase fruit and vegetable yields, support biodiversity, and contribute to a healthy, balanced ecosystem. Native wildflowers are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and beautiful, offering color and life throughout the seasons. Whether in a backyard, farm, or schoolyard, pollinator gardens connect us to nature and play an important role in sustaining our environment.
Growing Guide
1. Timing
- Spring Planting: March–May
- Fall Planting: September–November (great for perennials)
2. Location
- Sunlight: Full sun (6+ hours/day)
- Soil: Well-draining
- pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (6.0–7.0)
3. Site Preparation
- Kill off existing vegetation (cardboard smother or shallow till)
- Rake to a fine texture for good seed-to-soil contact
4. Seed Sowing
- Mix seeds with sand (1:4 ratio) for better spreading
- Broadcast evenly, press seeds into soil (don’t bury deeply)
- Light is key for germination
5. Watering
- Keep soil moist for the first 4–6 weeks
- After establishment, only water during long dry spells
6. Maintenance
- First-year: Expect mostly annuals
- Weed regularly in year one
- Mow or cut back in late fall or early spring
7. Enhancing Pollinator Attraction
- Add native plants like milkweed, echinacea, monarda
- Skip pesticides/herbicides — they mess with your pollinator posse
