Pollinator garden design is both an art and a science.
It requires a fine balance between multiple considerations at once, particularly aesthetics (for the people who spend time around our gardens) and ecology (for the pollinators who use these gardens for sustenance).
While it’s not possible to convey all the nuances of landscape design in a single blog post, every gardener and homeowner can benefit from knowing some fundamental principles.
To get started, follow our tips for choosing the best native plants for your landscape. Then, use the guidelines below to arrange those plants in a pollinator garden. If you need help, reach out!
Planting large swaths of two species creates a striking and cohesive look while providing ample nectaring sources for pollinators (Our Land Organics design & installation)
“Mass” the same species together.
There are two reasons to group plants of the same species near each other. First, planting en masse can help direct the viewer’s eye and create a calming, cohesive aesthetic.
Additionally, massing several plants of the same species together provides easy access to nectaring pollinators, who prefer not to travel far between plants to meet their energy needs. Aim for at least five or seven plants of the same type in each mass.
Odd numbers of ferns, grasses, and columbine plants make for a dynamic and balanced display (Our Land Organics design & installation)
Plant in odd numbers.
A general landscape design principle is to plant in odd numbers for a balanced, aesthetically pleasing effect. So whenever you’re installing plants of the same species, aim to plant three, five, seven, or nine.
Once you get into double digits (ten or more plants of the same species), you can disregard this rule. At that scale, the human eye can’t really tell the difference.
Think in layers.
Incorporate plants of varying heights to add visual interest to your garden design. Remember that plants change over time and consider their size (both height and width) when they mature. Place taller plants in the back of garden beds so they don’t block the view of shorter plants.
Speaking of shorter plants: Don’t forget groundcovers! Native sedges and other groundcovers fill in the lowest layers of the garden so there aren’t “gaps” at the soil level. For inspiration, check out this groundcover-centric backyard transformation.
A mixture of colors and textures creates visual interest without sacrificing harmony (Our Land Organics design & installation)
Play with colors and textures.
Add visual interest to your garden with a mixture of colors, flower shapes, and textures. Different flower shapes (for example, tubular versus open petals) aren’t just engaging to human eyes; they also provide nectaring sources for different types of pollinators. Textures could range from spiky wands to soft petals, hard seed pods, and so on.
Of course, there’s a fine line between “dynamic” and “chaotic.” It helps to limit yourself to two or three bloom colors per garden bed or go for multiple variations on the same color.
Plan for seasonal interest.
Ensure your garden looks its best for many months by installing plants with varied blooms times across the spring, summer, and fall. Not only does this enhance your landscape’s aesthetic appeal and extend the amount of time you get to enjoy garden blooms, it also provides a steady nutrient supply to pollinators.
Wooden stairs invite people to enter and interact with planted beds (Our Land Organics design & installation)