Last year, I decided to convert my front lawn into a pollinator garden. I used plants (mostly) from Resource Central’s Garden in a Box program, and then local nurseries to fill in some of the spaces.
This year, one year on, I’m happy to report that the garden is flourishing. Astonishingly, I didn’t manage to kill every plant I planted. (I do not have a green thumb.) Some of the plants didn’t make it. Some were simply planted in the wrong place, or they didn’t like the soil, or they got root rot. I did head for the local nursery (around Mother’s Day in May) and bought some native plants to fill in for where the ones didn’t make it, and because I can’t resist, some additional plants.
This is what my garden looked like last year. All freshly planted and mulched.
This is what it looks like one year later.
As you can see the plants are so much bigger. And I’ve added iceplants as well as some other plants (mainly coneflower). I did change the edging. Last year, we put in a metal edging. It didn’t do well (probably due to faulty installation by me), and so this year I decided on a stone edging. I love it. And I love the color contrast between the stone and the mulch.
My yellow columbine chose to flower this year. (Last year I didn’t get a single bloom from them.)
I love the iceplants and their blooms.
And of course, a pollinator garden is not complete without a pollinator.
I have a number of bees, including bumblebees, who love my Rocky Mountain Penstemon.
I can’t wait to see which plant blooms next.
