Arden
Plant a Thriving Pollinator Garden
Support bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds with a garden designed for continuous nectar and pollen throughout the seasons.
Why It Works
Pollinators — bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, and beetles — are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat. Yet pollinator populations are in steep decline due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. A pollinator garden directly addresses the most critical factor: habitat loss. Even a small patch of nectar-rich flowers provides essential foraging resources for local and migratory pollinators. The Xerces Society estimates that converting just 10% of lawn space to pollinator habitat across the US would create more habitat than all national parks combined. Pollinator gardens are also some of the most colorful and dynamic gardens you can grow — constant insect activity, hovering hummingbirds, and drifting butterflies create a garden that pulses with life.
Best for
- gardens where paths, beds, and a maintenance rhythm you will keep are the real constraints
- people committing to succession bloom, host plants, and pesticide-free structure
- renters or owners who can change containers more easily than built-in beds
Skip if
- you will not check sun hours, wind, and the soil under the actual beds before buying plants
- you spray broadly and will not leave some stems standing
Common mistakes
For a pollinator garden, the usual miss is a May burst of annuals and a nectar desert from July to frost. People also ignore sun hours, wind, and the soil under the actual beds and end up with a plant collection with no path, water plan, or winter structure. Names like lavender, sedum only work when massed with intent — not one of each from the nursery cart.
Plan this first
Fix circulation and one viewing angle before the plant list. Map bloom from spring to frost, then include at least one host plant — not only nectar. Preview that massing in Arden from the main viewing angle before you buy lavender, sedum.
How to Achieve This Look
Plan for continuous bloom from early spring through late autumn — pollinators need food across all seasons. Spring: crocus, hellebores, willows, early bulbs. Early summer: foxgloves, salvias, alliums, aquilegia. Midsummer: echinacea, monarda, lavender, agastache, phlox. Late summer: rudbeckia, sedum, goldenrod. Autumn: asters, Japanese anemones, ivy flowers. Plant in large blocks of single species (at least 3 square feet per type) — pollinators forage more efficiently in masses than scattered singles. Include plants for specialist pollinators: milkweed for monarchs, tubular flowers for hummingbirds, night-blooming jasmine for moths. Leave bare soil patches for ground-nesting bees (70% of bee species nest underground). Never use neonicotinoid pesticides. Add a shallow water dish with landing stones.
Try It with AI
Arden helps you visualize bloom-time sequences in your garden. See how spring, summer, and autumn pollinator plantings will look in your actual space — and ensure there are no gaps in your pollinator food supply.
“I showed my landscaper the preview and we agreed on a plan in one meeting instead of three.”
Frequently Asked Questions
01 What are the top 5 plants for pollinators?
Lavender, echinacea, salvia, sedum, and asters cover a wide range of pollinators across multiple seasons. Add milkweed for monarchs and agastache for hummingbirds. All are easy to grow and widely available.
02 Do pollinator gardens attract wasps and hornets?
Nectar flowers primarily attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Wasps are attracted more by fallen fruit, sugary drinks, and protein sources. A pollinator garden does not significantly increase wasp activity compared to any other garden.
03 How much sun does a pollinator garden need?
Most pollinator plants need 6+ hours of sun. Pollinators themselves are more active in sunny spots. In partial shade, focus on shade-tolerant nectar plants: foxgloves, astrantia, hellebores, and native woodland species.
04 Should I install a bee hotel?
Bee hotels support cavity-nesting species (about 30% of solitary bees). Place them in a sunny, sheltered spot 3–5 feet off the ground. More importantly, leave patches of bare, undisturbed soil for the 70% of bees that nest underground.
