Pollination is when pollen is moves within flowers or carried from flower to flower by pollenating animals such as bees, butterflies, or the wind.  This transfer leads to fertilization and successful seed and fruit production.  

Monarch butterflies are one of the major pollinators.  They considered endangered.  They enjoy milkweed, butterfly weed and Butterfly bushes.  Planting these in and around your garden Can provide good food sources for them.

Hummingbirds are another good pollinator.  Planting those same plants help to attract them to.  Nepeta Walker’s Low are blue that both attract hummingbirds and butterflies.  Also Asclepias Tuberosa Hello Yellow is a great attract butterflies and birds.  

Planting clovers are a great way to attract bees.  There are many kinds of clovers to plant, most people use white or crimson clover.  It is best to plant these in the fall.  

What you can do to promote and protect pollinators?  You can plant gardens including milkweed and butterfly bushes, and the other plants that we mentioned earlier.  Install houses for bats and bees.  Provide salt or mineral licks for butterflies and water for all wildlife.  Reduce pesticide use, and put flower beds in your lawn.  Lots of schools are teaching this in class and encouraging kids to protect the pollinators.  These gardens look a lot like weeds but are so great for teaching.

Besides trying to feed them, most of the flowers that you plant are beautiful and work well in your flower beds.  

There are lots of people that have bee hives and sell honey locally.  Support them and enjoy the local honey.

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)