Pollinator Garden: Tips + Tricks
Why Plant a Pollinator Garden?
Pollinator populations have declined by 95% since the 1980s. We rely on pollinators for 35% of our food crops including cocoa, coffee, soybeans, avocados, kiwis, pumpkins and watermelons. 75% of the worlds flowering plants rely on pollination from bees, butterflies, birds and other animals. Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife and support pollinators through providing diverse habitats and food sources.
The Green Valley Project Pollinator Corridor is a network of pollinator gardens that will provide habitat for a variety of pollinators as they migrate through Ventura County and Ojai Valley. Currently our corridor consists of 50 home gardens and 4 public pollinator gardens. If you are interested in joining our pollinator corridor you need to plant at least 10 of the listed pollinator friendly plants in your garden and email us at greenvalleyproject.org for your Pollinator Corridor lawn sign. For more information about this project and our other various youth led initiatives, check out our Past Projects Page or email us directly at greenvalleyprojectojai@gmail.com.
What to Plant in your Garden
Note that these plants are native to Ojai Valley, California.
If you are in a different region, please consult https://calscape.org/ to see if these plants are native to your location.
Narrow-leaf Milkweed
Size: Can grow up to 1 foot wide and 3 feet tall
Flowering season: Summer and Fall
Pollinators: Monarchs + bees
Plant Care: Full sun and should be watered twice a month once established
Common Yarrow
Size: 1.5 feet wide and 3 feet tall
Flowering season: Summer + Fall
Pollinators: Birds, bees, + butterflies
Plant Care: Full sun, partial shade, or full shade and should be watered once a week once established
California Buckwheat
Size: 3 feet wide and 6 feet tall
Flowering season: Summer, Spring + Fall
Pollinators: Butterflies + Bees
Plant Care: Full sun and should be watered once a month after established
Purple Sage
Size: 10 feet wide and 5 feet tall
Flowering season: Summer, Spring + Fall
Pollinators: Bees + Hummingbirds
Plant Care: Full sun and should be watered twice a month after established
Hummingbird Sage
Size: 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall
Flowering season: Winter, Spring + Summer
Pollinators: Hummingbirds, Bees + Butterflies
Plant Care: Full sun, partial sun or full shade. Should be watered twice a week until established
Mugwort
Size: 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall
Flowering season: Spring, Summer + Fall
Pollinators: Insects, Butterflies + Moths
Plant Care: Full sun, partial sun or full shade. Should be watered once a month once established
Yucca
Size: 3 feet wide and 12 feet tall
Flowering season: Spring
Pollinators: Yucca Moths + California Thrashers
Plant Care: Full sun and should be watered once a month once established
Coyote Brush
Size: 12 feet wide and 10 feet tall
Flowering season: Spring, Summer, Fall + Winter
Pollinators: Insects
Plant Care: Full sun and partial shade. Should be watered once a week once established
Honeysuckle
Size: 5 feet wide and 5 feet tall
Flowering season: Spring + Summer
Pollinators: Birds, Bees + Butterflies
Plant Care: Full sun and partial shade. Should be watered twice a month once established
Bladderpod
Size: 6 feet wide and 6 feet tall
Flowering season: Spring, Summer, Fall + Winter
Pollinators: Birds, Bees, Butterflies + Beetles
Plant Care: Full sun and should be watered once a month once established
Planting Guide
Allow your plant enough space to grow to mature size (see these dimensions above).
Dig a hole about the same depth as the soil in the pot.
Fill the hole with water and wait for it to drain completely.
Place the plant into the hole with the lower end of the stem about 1/4 inch higher than the surrounding earth.
Walk around the plant to eliminate air spaces.
When planting on a slope, consider making a small berm on the downhill side of the planting area.
Local Nurseries to Buy California Native Plants
S&S Seeds :a great option for native wildflower/grass seed
Yes Yes Nursery : you need to preorder these plants and they can be delivered to Ojai on the first Thursday of each month.
Matilija Nursery : located in Moorpark, is open Monday through Friday and has a selection of California Native Plants.
Growing Works : located in Camarillo, has a selection of California Native Plants and open to the public on Saturdays from 10am-2pm.
OVLC Nursery: locally grown in Ojai Valley, plant sales several times a year
@california_native_plants: online indigenous educator who sells a variety of California native plant seeds.
Or come to the Ojai Community Farmers Marker at Chaparral Highschool (414 E Ojai Ave, Ojai) on the first Thursday of each month from 3:30-7pm for Green Valley Project native plants grown by local youth at Nordhoff Highschool.
Information Sourced from:
https://calscape.org/
https://ovlc.org/planting-watering-guide-for-california-native-plants/