Resources for Creating Pollinator Habitat

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Many people who have contacted BWSR are not looking for funding, but information about how to create pollinator habitat.

• BWSR's Planting for Pollinators Habitat Guide is an in-depth guide intended to help you plan, implement, and maintain your project.
• Blue Thumb's Grantee Guide: A step-by-step walkthrough and resource directory for successfully completing a Lawns to Legumes project
• Blue Thumb's free Resilient Yards Online Learning Series 
• Your Yard can BEE the Change: Lawns to Legumes Introductory webinar   
• Pollinator Garden Templates: These templates provide base designs for native plant pollinator gardens, including boulevard and shade garden designs. They are customizable with substitutions for each plant.  
  • Shady Garden (pdf)
  • Rain Garden (pdf)
  • Sunny and Low (Boulevard) Garden (pdf)
  • Modern Grid Planting (pdf)
  • Dry Understory Planting (pdf)
• BWSR Ecological Gardening Blog posts:
  • Being the Change: Building the movement to protect pollinators
  • Getting started with native plantings: 10 ecological landscaping principles
  • Pollinator pocket plantings: From prep to maintenance, tips for new gardeners
• BWSR's Pollinator  and Biodiversity Toolbox
• BWSR's Living Landscapes Initiative
• US Fish and Wildlife Service: Build a Pollinator Garden in Seven Steps
• Xerces Society information about Pollinator Gardens
• Xerces Society Protecting Pollinators at Home (pdf)
• Xerces Society & U of MN Yards, Gardens and Parks Guide (pdf)
• MN Department of Agriculture: Best Management Practices For Pollinators And Their Habitat
• Xerces Society information about Organic Site Preparation Methods
• Xerces Society guide to Nesting & Overwintering Habitat For Pollinators & Other Beneficial Insects
• Preparing Your Soil with Compost or Mulch

Recommended practices

Lawns to Legumes recommends four project types for creating pollinator habitat:

• Native Pocket Planting (small garden): Pocket plantings are small clusters of native plants that provide food and shelter to pollinators and are recommended for new gardeners. You can install a pocket planting with as little as 10 square feet.
• Beneficial Trees and Shrubs: Beneficial trees and shrubs offer overwintering habitat and food sources. They are recommended for beginner and intermediate gardeners.
• Pollinator Lawn: Also known as bee lawns, this practice involves inter-seeding pollinator-friendly species into existing turf or low-growing native plants. This practice is recommended for experienced gardeners. Additional resources include:
  • The Pollinator Friendly Alliance: Inter-seed flowers into existing lawn Pollinator Lawn
  • Bee Lab (University of Minnesota): Bee Lawn Tool Kit
  • Blue Thumb Turf Conversion Information: DIY Bee Lawn
  • The Pollinator Friendly Alliance Pollinator Lawn Information
• Pollinator Meadow: Pollinator Meadows are larger groupings of native plants that provide habitat and water quality benefits. They are recommended for experienced gardeners.

Native plant selection

Resources in this section can help you select native plants for your garden, find native plant nurseries, and combat noxious weeds.

• Native Plant Selection (pdf): BWSR’s guide to high quality pollinator plants to provide blooms throughout the growing season.    
• Blue Thumb: Native Plants Nurseries and Retailers List
• Minnesota DNR: Native plant suppliers, landscapers, and restoration consultants for Minnesota.
• Wild Ones: Native Plant Nursery and Landscape Services Listings
• BWSR's monthly Featured Plant newsletter contains and archive with more than 70 species that benefit pollinators.
• Learn to identify harmful weeds with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Noxious Weed List
• The Pollinator Friendly Alliance: Questions to Ask Your Nursery
• Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water: Native Plant Lists
• Minnesota DNR: Landscaping with native plants
• U of MN Extension: Flowers for Pollinators
• Xerces Society: Great Lakes Pollinator Plant List (pdf)
• MN Zoo: Plant for Pollinators (English)or Plant for Pollinators (Spanish)

Care and Maintenance

Resources in this section help you care for your pollinator planting so it can thrive.

• Care Guide for Lawns to Legumes Plantings (pdf) (doc): BWSR's basic care guide for maintaining new pollinator plantings
• Guide for Pollinator Garden Maintenance from Blue Thumb

Citizen Science

Use the tools below to learn about Minnesota pollinators and assist with data collection that improves our overall knowledge of at-risk species and their habitat needs.

• Bumble Bee Watch is a community science project that helps researchers determine the status and conservation needs of bumblebees. Record sightings, upload photos and learn more about bumble bee ecology.
• Explore Monarch Joint Venture's Community Science Opportunities
• Identify plants and animals in your environment using the iNaturalist application.