6 Ways a Plantings Company in Annapolis and Owings Mills, MD Creates Pollinator-Friendly Landscapes
Creating a pollinator-friendly landscape doesn’t have to be difficult, especially when you work with a plantings company. For homeowners in Annapolis and Owings Mills, MD, landscape professionals can design a beautiful, functional outdoor space that attracts pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds. These essential creatures are crucial to your landscape’s health and help your plantings thrive. Here are several ways a plantings company creates a welcoming, pollinator-friendly landscape.
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1. Selecting Native Plantings to Attract Pollinators
Native plantings are the foundation of a healthy pollinator habitat. These plantings are naturally adapted to the local environment, making them ideal for supporting local pollinators. A plantings company will choose a variety of native species that bloom throughout the seasons, providing a steady supply of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. With a professional approach, your landscape will be filled with plantings that thrive and attract the right pollinators, creating a more vibrant, sustainable space.
2. Designing With a Variety of Blossom Shapes and Colors
Pollinators are drawn to different types of blossoms depending on their feeding habits. Some species, like bees, prefer tubular blossoms, while butterflies gravitate to flat, clustered blooms. A plantings company will create a dynamic landscape by selecting blossoms with varying shapes, colors, and sizes. This diversity ensures that various pollinators can find food sources they need, no matter their preferences. With expert planning, your landscape will be both colorful and functional, offering pollinators a range of choices.
3. Incorporating Host Plantings for Butterfly Life Cycles
To truly support pollinators, a landscape must provide more than just nectar. Butterflies, in particular, require specific host plantings where they can lay their eggs and where their larvae can feed. A plantings company will choose the right host plantings for local butterfly species. Milkweed, for example, is a critical host plant for monarch butterflies. Including these plantings in your landscape will attract butterflies and help sustain their populations, contributing to their lifecycle and growth.
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4. Creating Shelter and Resting Spaces
Pollinators need shelter as much as they need food. A professional landscaping company can design your landscape with spaces where pollinators can rest, nest, and seek shelter. Using a variety of plantings like tall grasses, shrubs, and ground covers will provide safe spaces for pollinators to rest. Additionally, placing bee hotels or creating small, sheltered corners within your landscape will encourage solitary bees and other insects to make their homes in your landscape. These elements create a more secure, welcoming environment for pollinators.
5. Designing for Year-Round Blooming
To keep pollinators coming back throughout the seasons, your landscape must offer blooms at different times of the year. A skilled plantings company will design your landscape with plantings that blossom in early spring, mid-summer, and late fall. This ensures that pollinators have a consistent food supply all year long. For example, early bloomers like crocus and daffodils will attract early-season pollinators, while late-season blossoms like asters and goldenrod provide food when other plantings have finished blooming. A diverse range of plantings with staggered bloom times makes your landscape a reliable resource for pollinators.
6. Supporting Biodiversity
A pollinator-friendly landscape thrives when it supports biodiversity. The more variety in planting types, structures, and sizes, the better the habitat will be for a wide range of pollinators. By designing a landscape that includes trees, shrubs, blossoming plantings, and grasses, a plantings company can create a space that supports not just one type of pollinator, but many. This increased biodiversity helps the landscape stay healthy and resilient, providing multiple food sources, habitats, and nesting sites for various species.
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About the Author
With nearly two decades of experience, Valley Deck & Patio has grown into a full-service landscape design and construction company known for our custom work. Our talented team takes on the challenge of complex projects, and we are always ready to roll up our sleeves and exceed customer expectations.
