You Can Create A Pollinator Paradise

Bee City Los Alamos & Pajarito Environmental Education Center

Backyard Pollinator Garden Project | 2024

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We want to thank the Carroll Petrie Foundation for making this project possible, and Xerces for creating Bee City USA, of which Los Alamos County is a proud affiliate.

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This guide is designed to help you get your Backyard Pollinator Garden up and thriving.

We hope it will answer any questions you might have, but feel free to reach out to us at: coordinator@beecitylosalamos.org

You can also find information and resources on our website at: www.peecnature.org/bee-city

How to prepare the area, plant & maintain your

Backyard Pollinator Garden

Site Assessment

• Where is the sun during the day?
• What areas are in full sun? Do you have any areas that have shade all or part of the day?
• What kind of soil do you have? If you aren’t sure, do the jar test: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/soil-texture-analysis-the-jar-test/
• Are there weeds that need to be removed? Be sure to get the entire plant, including the root. Do NOT use herbicides. Hand pulling and weeding are best.
• Are you on a sloping piece of land? How will you hold the water? Terraces, watering wells, rocks?
• Will you be installing drip or hand watering? Is the hose bib accessible? Will you be harvesting rain water?
• Is the site protected from deer? Rabbits? Dogs?

https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/protecting-our-environment/sustainability-tips/landscaping/for-residents/choosing-the-right-plants

Draw out the site:

• Note existing plants & structures
• Note wet or dry areas
• Note sun and shade
• Note high visibility areas
• What direction does wind come from?
• What angle will you see the garden from?
• Where is there refuge for birds?
• Where is the water source?
• Is it accessible to deer?

Site design ��Use a garden hose, contractor flags, or stones to create the shape of the bed.

�Contractor flags are great for putting the name, color and size of the plants and then placing where you think they should go.��Label areas that are wet all or part of the year. This might be a low area or where gutters empty out or heavy clay soil.�

Plan to leave some areas of bare soil for the ground nesting bees.��

• Familiarize yourself with the needs of the plants you are receiving.
• Plant low water, full sun plants together in an area with full sun at least most of the day and soil with good drainage (sand, gravel, etc)
• Plant moisture loving, partial shade plants together in a spot that is shaded at least most of the day and that will get more water or is in soil, like clay, that holds more water.
• Plant like species together. Ex. Penstemons in one area, 1 foot apart.
• Plant taller plants in the back of the bed or in the center of a bed that can be seen from all sides.
• Plant medium sized plants in front of the taller plants and smaller plants on the borders of the beds so they don’t get lost.
• Aim to have something blooming all season in the bed or beds.
• If you have a large, undeveloped area, start small this year. Something the size of 1-2 parking spots will be adequate.

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You can draw out your design like this example

Design by Ruth Doyle

Soil Preparation

• Know your weeds. You may have some native pollinator plants volunteering in your site. Decide which you want to keep and then weed the rest thoroughly, being sure to remove all weed roots. (Weeds of NM: https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_circulars/CR698/)
• Rake the area to smooth and contour as desired.
• Shape the bed by laying out a garden hose or string. You can also lay it out with rocks, if you have those on hand. Keep at it until it is a shape and size that you like & will accommodate the plants.
• Native plants are adapted to our native soils. However, it can be helpful to add a clean, non-manure compost to the native soil to give the plants a boost and to help hold water. 1-2 inches should be sufficient.
• Consider adding some nicely shaped, local stones to create microclimates and interest.
• Plan to mulch the area with a composted mulch 2-3 inches deep. Mulch on top of irrigation lines to minimize evaporation. Leave some bare areas, or areas with a thin layer, for ground nesting bees.

https://www.highplainsgardening.com/amending-soil-native-plant-gardens

Planting guidelines

• Plant early in the morning or late in the afternoon when it is coolest.
• Water the area thoroughly before planting and again after planting.
• Plant so the soil in the pot is even with the surrounding soil, when you have tamped the surrounding soil down firmly around the plant. You can check this by using a ruler laid across the area; it should be flat.
• Make the hole at least twice as wide as the pot and half again as deep. If soil is really hard, loosen it up another half and leave the loosened soil in the hole. Wider is better than deeper.
• Water in well after planting. Never leave a new plant unwatered for even an hour as the roots will burn and dry out and the plant will die.
• Pro-tip: Use a houseplant water meter to make sure the water has penetrated the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. These are inexpensive and available at any hardware store.
• Add composted mulch (being sure to keep it away from the stem of the plant) and water in well. Use undyed, untreated, organic mulch. Finer, composted mulches are better than coarse pallet or bark style mulch. Decorative, colored mulch is not suitable and may damage the plants.

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https://drummersgardencenter.com/plant-care/guides-to-planting-and-care/

The plants we are offering this year.

Not all plants will be in every collection.

Perennials (you will receive 3 of each):

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• Aquilegia elegantula | Western Red Columbine
• Berlandiera lyrata | Chocolate Daisy
• Dalea purpurea | Purple Prairie Clover
• Helianthus maximilianii | Maximilian Sunflower
• Linum perenne | Blue Flax
• Monarda fistulosa | Wild Bergamot
• Penstemon eatonii | Firecracker Penstemon
• Penstemon strictus | Rocky Mountain Penstemon
• Ratibida columnifera | Upright Prairie Coneflower
• Solidago simplex | Narrow Goldenrod

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Shrubs 

(you will receive 2,unless you requested no shrubs):

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• Cercocarpus montanus | Mountain Mahogany
• Chamaebatiaria millifolium | Fernbush
• Lonicera involucrata | Twinberry Honeysuckle

Aquilegia elegantula | Western Red Columbine

• Native perennial to 2 feet tall with red and yellow spurred flowers from May-July
• Prefers moist soils in partial to shade
• Plant them 6-10 inches apart
• Pollinated by hummingbirds
• Moderately deer resistant

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USDA Forestry Service

Berlandiera Lyrata | Chocolate Daisy

• Perennial 1-2 feet with a chocolate scent
• Blooms April to late October or frost
• Low water
• Full sun to partial
• Will wilt in hot sun but recovers at night
• Plant 1 foot apart and allow seed heads to dry and fall off to reseed next year
• An important pollinator plant; attracts native bees, butterflies and other insects
• Deer resistant

Dana Ecelberger

Dalea purpurea | purple prairie clover

• Perennial, deciduous subshrub 1-3 feet tall
• Pretty purple blooms June-September
• Low water
• Full sun
• Plant 1-2 feet apart in area with good drainage and full sun
• Attracts butterflies and is of special value to native bees
• Deer tolerant

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New Moon Nurseries

Plants & Animals of NE CO

Gaillardia pinnatifida | Red Dome Blanketflower

• A native, slender perennial to 2 feet tall with yellow ray flowers & a prominent red cone
• Blooms April-October
• Sun & Low H2O
• Sandy, well-drained soils
• Plant 1-2 feet apart
• Deer will nibble this when it starts to flower
• Of special value to native bees & butterflies
• Larval plant for some butterfly & moth species, including Schinia bina which feeds exclusively on Gaillardia pulchella

Wikipedia

Helianthus maximilianii Maximilian Sunflower

• A native prairie perennial 3-10 feet tall with a branching structure
• Yellow, daisy like flowers of up to 5-inches in size late July – frost
• Low water
• Full sun
• Prefers moist clay soils but is tolerant of a wide range of soil types
• Plant 3-6 feet apart
• Perfect for back of border or along a fence
• Extremely valuable to native bees & butterflies
• Seeds eaten by birds in Fall and Winter
• Leave the dry stems through winter for stem nesting bees
• Deer will eat this when little so protect it

Trees that Please Nursery

Linum perenne var Lewisii | Blue Flax

Dana Ecelberger

• Semi-evergreen Perennial to 2 feet tall
• Showy blue flowers early June-October
• Full sun to partial shade
• Low to medium water
• Plant 1 - 2 feet apart
• Pollinated by native bees, flies & butterflies
• Lovely mid-border next to orange and yellow flowers
• In the Fall let seed heads dry out to self-seed
• Deer & rabbit resistant

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Penstemon eatonii | Firecracker Penstemon

• Perennial to 3 feet tall with showy red flowers that hummingbirds love
• Blooms April- August
• Low water
• Partial shade to full sun
• Plant 1-2 feet apart
• Dry gravelly soils are preferred
• Of special value to native bees
• Leave the dry stems through winter for stem nesting bees

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Western Star Nursery

PlantMaster

Penstemon strictus | Rocky Mountain Penstemon

• Evergreen perennial 1-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide
• Forms mats of foliage that persist through the Winter
• Beautiful, showy, purple flowers from late May-August.
• Plant 1 to 2 feet apart
• Low water
• Partial sun/shade
• Sandy or rocky soils for drainage
• Of special value to native bees
• Attracts bumblebees, butterflies & native bees + the occasional hummingbird
• One of the easiest and best Penstemons for our area

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Dana Ecelberger

Ratibida columnifera | Upright prairie coneflower

• Native perennial 1.5 feet to 3 feet tall
• Wispy with small coneflower type flowers in red and yellow, red or yellow
• Blooms June-September
• Drought tolerant and tolerant of many types of well-drained soils
• Plant 1 foot apart in full sun
• Attracts native bees & butterflies. Birds will eat the seeds in the Fall
• Deer will eat the flower but the plant is tolerant of browse
• Plant is used medicinally by indigenous peoples
• Of special value to native bees

SW Desert Flora

Solidago simplex | narrowleaf goldenrod

• Perennial to 3 feet tall
• Yellow flowers June-September
• Drought tolerant
• Sun to partial
• Tolerates a wide range of soils
• Plant 1 foot apart near front of border or mid-bed
• Does not spread like regular Goldenrod
• Of special value to native bees

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MikoFox Flickr

Cercocarpus montanus �Mountain Mahogany

• Shrubby Tree 8-20 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide
• Inconspicuous blooms in early Spring
• Low water
• Full sun to partial shade
• Plant near back of border or in a corner of the bed
• Will eventually, at a slow pace, shade what is planted under it
• You can prune it into more of a tree shape as it grows
• Larval host to the Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak Butterfly

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SW Desert Flora

Wikipedia

City of Ft Collins

Chamaebatiaria millifolium | Fernbush

• An excellent pollinator shrub of 5-6 feet tall and wide
• Very hardy and covered with sticky white flowers July & August
• Low water
• Sun to partial shade
• Plant 4-5 feet apart
• Tolerant of many soil types
• Attracts a wide range of native pollinators, including Hairstreak Butterflies
• Deer resistant

Awkward Botany

Lonicera involucrata �Twinberry Honeysuckle

• A beautifully arching, deciduous shrub of 6-10 feet tall and wide with red flowers and purple berries
• Blooms April-August
• Prefers more water
• Sun to shade
• Plant 8-10 feet apart
• Of special benefit to hummingbirds, birds, butterflies and bumblebees
• A larval host for Gillette’s Checkerspot
• Provides habitat, berries, nectar, pollen, nesting materials
• An excellent shrub if you have a wet area and a bit of room

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Sparrowhawk Native Plants

Plantas Nativas

Wikipedia

Watering

• Your plants will need to be watered daily through the first season.
• For the perennials, count to 30 while watering. Then, after 15 minutes or so, check with a water meter to be sure the water has penetrated at least 6 inches. If not, water again.
• For the shrubs, water daily the 1^st year. To encourage deep rooting, also water deeply once a week: about 30 minutes the 1^st year and 1 hour once a week as shrubs become established.
• Next season, you can water 3 times a week and water shrubs deeply once a week. In extreme heat, water daily.
• Water weekly in the winter unless there is snow on the ground.
• The 3^rd season you can water as needed. Water shrubs deeply once a week.
• Drooping indicates water stress. Yellowing indicates over-watering.

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Weston Nurseries

Maintenance

• In general, native plants are low maintenance, once established. These few garden tasks will keep them thriving.
• Keep weeds from encroaching on new plants. See the NM Weed Guide to learn what is a weed (https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_circulars/CR698/)
• In the Fall, let plants dry out naturally. Hopefully, they will scatter seeds and you will have more plants next year.
• Leave hollow stems to overwinter for stem-nesting bees
• See Xerces’ guidance: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/22-005_01_web-press.pdf
• In Spring, wait for at least one week of temps over 50 F. before cutting perennials back. If unsure, cut perennials back as new growth is emerging and stack the stems on the periphery of the garden for any late sleepers.
• Add new mulch each Spring
• Check your irrigation system for leaks and set timers for 15 minutes 3 times a week for perennials and 1 hour once a week for shrubs
• Check for any die back of the plants. Keep a log of what survived, what re-seeded, what has clumped or spread.

Hardy’s Cottage Garden

Keep an eye open for pollinators

• Set out a shallow dish of water in the garden for insects or place rocks in a bird bath. Small insects will drown in deeper water, so they need a landing place from which to drink.
• Leave areas of bare dirt for ground nesting bees.
• Leave dry, hollow stems over winter for stem nesting bees.
• Don’t use pesticides, natural or chemical, as these damage all insects.
• Join PEEC’s iNaturalist Citizen Science project to add any observations/photos of insects you see in your garden
• Keep a log of when plants bloom, when you see the 1st pollinators and which plants seem to attract the most insects.

Photos by Dana Ecelberger

Enjoy the adventure you are embarking upon! You are a pollinator super-hero!

• Email us with any questions or concerns at: coordinator@beecitylosalamos.org
• Check our website for resources: https://peecnature.org/bee-city/pollinator-resources/
• Consult the Planting & Maintenance document we have developed for this project: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGGjWdlNPw/Z5uzun05QjaOg7y-89MeqQ/view?utm_content=DAGGjWdlNPw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor
• Tell your friends and neighbors about the project. We have funding for 3 years of plant give-aways and would like to create as much habitat and pollinator resource connectivity as possible within that time frame
• Sign up to volunteer with us at: volunteerlosalamos.org
• Sign up for our blog & newsletter on our website: www.peecnature.org/bee-city
• Join PEEC’s iNaturalist Citizen Science project to help us identify & track local pollinators: https://peecnature.org/bee-city/citizen-science/

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Dana Ecelberger