Pollinators are crucial to food systems, ecosystems, and the environment as a whole. Native pollinators are vital in these systems, but they need native plants to thrive. This spring, we’re encouraging you to plant for the pollinators. We’ll be providing specific tips and resources throughout the spring and summer to help you get your pollinator garden established and blooming.
For now, let’s start with thinking about what is needed to replace lost habitat due to human changes to the landscape. Pollinators include insects, birds, bats, even amphibians! So, the first step is to decide which creature(s) you are hoping to support in your garden. There are lots of great resources online (such as this one from the Government of Canada, or this one from Seeds of Diversity) to determine who probably already lives in your area.
Once you have an idea of who you would like to support, you can look at their basic needs: food, water, shelter, safety. Often insects and birds have preferred plants for food sources, such as hummingbirds and their love of purple or red, throated flowers like Blue Flag Iris or Wild Columbines. Native plants can be harder to source, so consider adding annual plants to entice them in while you are establishing their native plant preferences. For hummingbirds, petunias and cardinal flowers are great choices (although there are lots to choose from!) Hummingbirds also consume small insects and spiders as a protein source, so make sure you aren’t removing habitat for those insects in the process.
Do you have a source of water available in your yard? If not, consider adding a shallow bird bath with some flat stones added to provide water for not only birds, but bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Be sure to keep it clean and full for them- birds taking a bath can really dirty up the water and splash a lot of it out.
Are there safe places for your pollinator to rest? This could mean nesting boxes, perches or even umbel-type flowers like dill or yarrow for insects like lacewings, and butterflies. Does your yard have lighting left on at night? Consider going dark to allow lightning bugs and moths to complete their reproductive cycles without interference from artificial lighting (it can be very disruptive!) Make sure there are places where birds and insects can have safe haven from predators like domestic cats (plants with thorns, like hawthorn or wild rose discourage felines but not birds). If you would like to add nesting areas, make sure you consider those natural or domesticated predators in your design. Did you know that a lot of the designs out there for solitary bee nesting blocks do not consider that the larva is a food source for woodpeckers and other larger omnivorous birds? We want to make sure that the bee larva is safe, and the birds are fed with other sources.
Make sure that once you have your garden planted, you cover the soil with mulch of some sort, maybe even some branches. This will provide habitat for ground beetles, as well as keeping your soil and plants healthy.
If all of this sounds intriguing, check out Gaia’s course Ecological Plant Knowledge 1- Natives or our upcoming webinar on Native Plants. And watch for more installments in this series, getting more specific with some of Canada’s most valuable pollinators!
During the sprouting process, the nutrient composition of the seed’s endosperm goes through a lot of changes. Not only does the phytic acid break down to release the nutrients present, but nutrients are also created that are not present in the seed until then! The nutrient content reaches its peak as the leaf tips are just emerging from the seed. In most cases, this is also when they are the most flavourful.
Growing your own sprouts is super easy to do and you don’t need a garden to do it! The best part is that you can eat your seeds within 2 - 5 days.
To start all you need is a jar with a screened lid, plus your seeds. You can buy sprouting mixes that contain a variety of seeds, or try a single variety.
Here are some ideas to try:
Put 1 tablespoon of seeds in your sterilized jar, close the lid and then give them a rinse. Soak the seeds for 2 - 12 hours (depending on the size of the seeds). Then drain off the liquid.
Place your jar in a well-draining, warm place (but out of direct sunlight). Use a dish rack or bowl to keep the jar at a 45-degree angle for air circulation and water drainage.
Be sure to rinse your seeds at least 2-4 times a day!
Once your sprouts are ready to eat, rinse and drain them. Use a clean towel to absorb excess moisture and refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
ENJOY!
Learn how to grow more of your own food!
Have you tried to compost year-round in our snowy climate and had issues? I got my composter set up to ride out the winter this weekend, and wanted to share some of the things I have learned the hard way.
Here (west of Edmonton, AB) the temps have been consistently below 0C at night and we are heading into double digits below zero this week. So I got my compost pile ready for winter just in time! There are several key points to keep in mind if you also live in a cold winter area:
Your compost will freeze solid and that is ok. Everything freezes solid at -30C. If you read on the internet that if you build it a certain way it will keep working all winter, they probably weren’t talking about zone 4 and colder. But if it is well built and has enough moisture, it will jump back into action when it thaws in spring.
Rodents living in the compost with its food sources and insulation is a common issue- I have had it happen myself. The trick is to make sure all the components in your pile are thoroughly wet before it freezes. Nobody wants to live in a block of ice, including the mice! I also rot down my kitchen waste in the collection buckets I use, to the point that it is… mostly unrecognizable as food. I would rather not attract skunks by putting out possible food sources. (My buckets have a tight lid so that smells can’t escape.)
Layering your browns (carbon) and greens (nitrogen) is still the way to go, watering each layer. In the fall we usually have ample materials to compost due to the garden being harvested and dead leaves. Stockpile some browns for use during winter if you are willing to brave the cold and top up your pile, or save them until spring when it is harder to find carbon sources.
When you are building your pile, add more microbes. I took a few shovelfuls of soil/compost from the bottom of my pile and added them back in, halfway up the pile. If you have worm castings, or Effective Micronutrients, add those. Anything to help the microbial population work on the pile when they come out of dormancy in the spring.
Add to your pile in winter… or don’t. I stockpile my kitchen waste in plastic buckets outside and then add them in spring. The buckets freeze on my porch and the contents get extra broken down with the freeze/thaw that happens. I do throw snow on the top of my pile, just to make sure it doesn’t dry out by spring.
When spring comes, give your pile a good fork-ing as soon as you notice it has thawed. You will find that the volume has decreased by 40-50% just from the freeze/thaw assist from Mother Nature. As it thaws, the microbes will get to work digesting your materials, and provide even more heat to warm the pile. Add a bit more water as needed, and bam! You have created black gold, just in time to top dress your spring plants!
Happy Winter Composting!
By Jennifer Burns-Robinson
You might have heard the slogan “Leave the Leaves” before. Although it is a simple statement, it has important benefits for your garden and biodiversity on a larger scale. Even the most seasoned gardeners might still bag up leaves to tidy their gardens instead of leaving a leafy mess.
The idea of pristine lawns and flower beds dates back to Victorian England, where it was a sign of wealth. Let’s get rid of this outdated concept and leave the leaves to build biodiversity and support soil health - a different kind of wealth!
Leaving the leaves is helpful to protect leaf-dwelling creatures such as spiders, caterpillars, cocoons, and even salamanders. Some moths cocoon overwinter in leaf litter and emerge in the spring - for example, the Polyphemus moth and other Giant Silk Moths camouflage their cocoons in leaf litter. Every creature and pollinator plays a role in contributing to the overall health and beauty of your garden so it is important to protect them. There is also another crucial reason to leave the leaves and that is to protect what’s below our feet: the soil ecosystem.
New studies show that more than half of the Earth’s species live in the soil: 90% of fungi, 50% of bacteria and 85% of plants (M. Anthony et al., 2023). This is an incredible statistic! Organic gardeners have known for years that the soil is where the majority of life is. One teaspoon of healthy soil can contain up to a billion bacteria and up to 1 km of fungi (Fortuna, A., 2012). Good, healthy, nutritious and biodiverse soil produces beautiful plants. On a global scale, soil biodiversity affects climate change feedback due to carbon storing and production, global food security through food production, and human health (Weston, P., 2023). To play your part in protecting this crucial system, you can start with your garden!
Nature knows best, and has been feeding soils during the fall and winter long before we had clearly defined garden plots and lawns. When you leave the leaves (and all the other dead plant parts), you create a litter layer that protects and feeds your soil. This layer breaks down over time, eventually becoming humus - a dark, nutrient-dense organic material that contains many of the nutrients needed to help plants survive and thrive. The litter layer both protects humus and eventually becomes it!
Soil is very much alive. Feeding your soil for a healthy garden all year round requires more than simply adding compost and organic fertilizers during your growing season; the fall and winter is a time where the garden may appear lifeless on the surface, but is replenishing its nutrients for the spring and summer below ground. Leaving the leaves and organic matter to layer on your garden soil is a simple step you can do to improve the health of your garden all year.
Why “leave the leaves”? So we can let Mother Nature do her thing: your garden will thank you!
If you’re interested in soil health and want to learn more about the importance of caring for the soils, consider taking our Organic Master Gardener course. This is a foundational course that will teach you so much about garden health, soil health and plant health for beautiful and sustainable green spaces.
Sources
https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/the-soil-biota-84078125/
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2304663120
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/07/more-than-half-of-earths-species-live-in-the-soil-study-finds-aoe
Image Sources
Leaves: Elena Photo
Soil: Savany from Getty Images Signature
Have you ever looked at your lawn in the summer and felt it seemed sad, depleted and thirsty? You might consider adding clover. It can boost the soil’s capacity to hold nutrients and moisture. And it increases biodiversity! Adding clover to your grass can produce a more luscious, resilient, biodiverse and water-wise garden. Some benefits of clover:
1. It acts as a natural fertilizer
Like other legumes, clover adds nitrogen to the soil thanks to nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in its root nodes. Nitrogen is crucial for plants as a key component of the chlorophyll cell, allowing plants to photosynthesize and grow.
2. It stays green and hydrated
Thanks to its deep roots, clover stays green even during the hot, dry summer months, reducing the need for irrigation.
3. It's part of a biodiverse ecosystem
Clover flowers and nectar attract many important pollinators such as bees, butterflies and wasps. Pollinator populations everywhere are in trouble due to habitat destruction, climate change and pollution, so do your part by supporting your local pollinators!
4. It suppresses weeds
Clover’s deep roots and prolific spread help keep other weeds from taking over your lawn. This means you do not need to apply herbicides/pesticides to have a healthy, luscious lawn.
5. It's edible!
Clover leaves can be eaten raw. The flowers make a delicate tea and a pretty garnish. It’s also safe for pets to consume.
Clover is originally from Europe. It was introduced to North America in the early settler-colonial times. Although non-native to Canada, some species of clover are considered non-invasive. It takes well to disturbed and nutrient-poor soils, which is why it can be considered an invasive weed. Micro clover is a species of clover that does well in a lawn because it’s not as competitive/invasive as other clovers. You can order organic micro clover seeds from West Coast Seeds.
Check out this video from Gaia College gardener Jennifer Hermary and the results she found after adding clover seeds to her lawn: https://www.instagram.com/p/C765boWO4wv/
The equinox marks the first day of spring, a time for new beginnings and intentions. This spring, we want to encourage you to integrate native plants into your garden planning. Your garden (and local ecosystem) will thank you!
The National Wildlife Federation suggests that to increase biodiversity, gardens should be composed of 50%-70% native plants. There are many reasons why you should include, even prioritize, native plants in your garden. In an age of rapidly declining species biodiversity, particularly for specialist species (those with limited geographical ranges and diets), it is important to think of how your garden can help support and even restore biodiversity.
Why should you plant more native plants?
1. They are better suited to local ecosystems
Native plants are naturally well-suited to their native range and ecosystem. They are adapted to the conditions that most non-native plants suffer in, like drought and heavy rain. Coneflowers, for example, are drought-resistant plants that have long blooming periods which attract many pollinators. Swamp milkweed, as its name suggests, will happily grow in wet soils and will still produce beautiful pink flowers.
2. They help restore local biodiversity
Many species of animals, birds and insects rely on native plants as sources of food and shelter. Due to increased urbanization and loss of habitat, many species have been displaced. By increasing the concentration of native plants in existing green spaces and gardens, we can help restore some of those relationships and provide a safe haven for species who rely on native plants to thrive.
3. They support native pollinators
Native plants have co-evolved with native species of insects, birds, and animals. Some insect species rely solely on one kind of native plant. Monarch butterflies, for example, only lay their eggs on milkweed plants. When the eggs hatch, the plant’s leaves are the only source of food for the caterpillars.
Up to 60% of North American native bee species are specialists when it comes to pollen, relying on native plants to feed their young. A drastic reduction in native plants has led to native bee populations plummeting. This is troubling, as native bees are much more effective pollinators than non-native honey bees, allowing for more successful pollination and seed-production of native plants.
Increasing the number of native plants allows for native species of pollinators to be supported in their life cycles, and in turn, more native plants to thrive.
Native plants do not need to be fertilized, many are edible or have medicinal properties, many can be used for crafts and natural dyes, they are cheaper to maintain in the long run when planted correctly (because they need less resources) and many self-seed, coming back season after season.
There are so many reasons why you should include native plants in your garden this spring! So why not become an ally to native plants and their ecological communities?
Happy Gardening!
Gaia College
Some examples of plants native to various regions of Canada
To determine which plants are native to your area, you should consult a native plant database or planting guide such as:
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