Parade of Homes featuring the best of new homes in Manitoba, Canada
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1492837
PUT ASIDE THE PESTICIDES Flowers on plants produced without the use of pesticides are the most pollinator-friendly. Bee Better Manitoba suggests checking that the plants and flowers you purchase for your garden are either pesticide free, use organic pesticides, or use minimal pesticides that are the least toxic to insects like bees. If you must use insecticides, don't use them on or near plants that are currently in bloom, and apply them in the evening or after dark when possible. LEAVE A MESS Say what? Nobody wants a messy yard, but leaving your garden alone in the fall and delaying the clean-up helps pollinators. Many need an insulating layer of fallen grasses, branches and leaves when settling in for the winter, on or under the ground. Some insect species will spend the winter snuggled up inside plant stems, or attached to the outside. So go ahead and leave that garden mess out longer. "The idea of leaving a messy garden is to try to provide some of the habitat for ground-nesting species, or for those species that nest in things like twigs and hollow stems," Currie says. You can even make or buy artificial nest boxes to provide a safe winter home for some pollinators. When spring rolls around and the snow starts melting, wait again — this time to give pollinators time to emerge from their winter hiding places before you begin spring clean-up in your yard. It can be exciting to add plants to your yard and watch for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to visit. But you don't need to fill your entire yard with flowers to make a difference. "You could start with just a fairly small patch in a corner of the yard, and try and just select a diversity of plants with a succession of forage going throughout the year," Currie says. Every little bit helps. Visit beebettermb.ca to learn more. "YOU NEED TO HAVE A SERIES OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY IN BLOOM, PRODUCING NECTAR AND POLLEN FOR ALL THESE INSECTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SEASON." Parade of Homes SPRING 2023 59