Beyond No Mow May:
5 Powerful Ways to Create a Pollinator Paradise in Your Yard
“No Mow May” has certainly raised awareness about the plight of our pollinators, and that’s a fantastic start! The idea of letting our lawns grow to provide early-season forage for bees and other insects comes from a good place. However, when we dig a little deeper, simply letting turfgrass grow long might not be the most effective strategy, and can sometimes even lead to a stressed, unhealthy lawn requiring more intervention later.
The truth is, a dense, long monoculture of turfgrass isn’t prime real estate for most pollinators. They thrive in diverse environments with a variety of native plants offering nectar, pollen, and shelter throughout the seasons.
So, if you’re keen to make a real, lasting difference for your local Wisconsin pollinators, here are five impactful strategies that go beyond just pausing your mower:
1. Shrink Your Lawn, Grow Your Garden
This is perhaps the single most impactful change you can make. Lawns, while neat, offer very little ecological value. By reducing the square footage of your turf, you open up valuable space for plants that do support wildlife.
Why it works: Less lawn means less habitat disruption from mowing and edging. More garden space allows for dense layers of native plants, which are the foundation of a healthy local food web.
Wisconsin Tip: Start small! Convert a tricky-to-mow corner or expand an existing flower bed. Every square foot counts!
2. Go Native! Plant Wisconsin’s Pollinator Powerhouses
Native plants have co-evolved with our local insects, birds, and other wildlife for centuries. They provide the specific food (nectar, pollen, leaves for caterpillars) and shelter that our local fauna needs to survive and reproduce.
Why it works: Native plants are perfectly adapted to Wisconsin’s climate and soils, often requiring less water and fertilizer once established. They are the bedrock of supporting local wildlife food webs.
Wisconsin Native Starters:
- Spring Bloomers: Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
- Summer Bloomers: Bee-balm (Monarda fistulosa), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
- Fall Bloomers: Heart-leaved Aster (Aster cordifolius), New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae), Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida)
3. Plan for a Pollinator Buffet – All Season Long!
Pollinators need food from early spring through late fall. A lawn that blooms for a few weeks in May is a temporary snack bar. A garden with a sequence of native blooms is a full-service, season-long restaurant.
Why it works: Different pollinators are active at different times, and they need a continuous supply of resources. Planning for blooms across three seasons ensures you’re supporting a wider variety of species.
Wisconsin Tip: Aim for at least 3-5 different native species blooming in each period: spring, summer, and fall. The “Native Plants for Beginners” guide from the Wisconsin DNR is a great resource for this. For more in-depth information, check out Doug Tallamy’s book “Nature’s Best Hope” and website www.homegrownnationalpark.org for plant lists and other ideas.
4. Become a Host with the Most (Plants, That Is!)
Many insects, especially butterflies and moths, have “host plants” – specific plants their caterpillars must eat to survive. The most famous example is the Monarch butterfly and Milkweed. No Milkweed, no Monarchs.
Why it works: By planting host plants, you’re not just feeding adult pollinators; you’re providing a nursery for the next generation. This is crucial for sustaining specialist insect populations.
Wisconsin Tip: Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a monarch magnet. Research other native plants that host specific local butterflies or beneficial insects. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a tidier, showier milkweed variety that works well in home planting beds. The “Supporting Our Monarchs” guide from the Wisconsin DNR lists several milkweed species and other monarch favorite treats.
5. Create a Complete Pollinator Paradise (It’s More Than Just Flowers!)
Beyond blooms, pollinators need other resources and safe havens.
Paradise Basics:
- Water: A shallow dish with pebbles or a birdbath provides a safe drinking spot.
- Shelter & Nesting: Leave some leaf litter in garden beds over winter (many insects overwinter there). Allow some pithy or hollow stems (like those from coneflowers or bee balm) to stand through winter for stem-nesting bees. Patches of bare ground are vital for ground-nesting bees.
- Avoid Toxins: Pesticides, herbicides, and even some fertilizers can harm or kill pollinators directly or contaminate their food and water sources. Opt for natural pest control and soil-building methods, or carefully target your applications to only where it’s needed.
Wisconsin Tip: Resist the urge to “tidy up” too much in the fall. Those dead plant stalks and leaves are valuable winter habitat! In the spring, wait until nighttime temperatures hit about 50 degrees consistently before you cut it all down. Even better, find a place in your yard where you can leave leaf litter and plant stems up year-round.