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Let’s face it – summers in North Florida can be downright brutal, and the allure of cultivating and maintaining a summer garden can fade pretty quickly. Over the years, I have battled borers, blight, and blossom-end rot, not to mention bug bites, sunburn, and endless sweat.
Summer vegetable gardening eventually lost its luster, and I gave it up, deciding instead to enjoy the fruits and vegetables from our local farmers’ markets. However, I recently stumbled upon a satisfying gardening alternative that offers both aesthetic and environmental benefits throughout the summer – even into September. I like to call it “lazy gardening.”
Why pollinators matter
The basic premise of lazy gardening is that a little effort now, in the early days of spring, can pay off exponentially later during the dog days of summer. I learned this from a neighbor who, at the height of summer, showed me her small backyard filled with a variety of colorful, blooming, heat-tolerant plants that provided a continuous buffet for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Hers was simply an easy, low-maintenance cutting garden that attracted pollinator insects – critical contributors to our food supply.
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So why are pollinator insects so important? Researchers have determined that 70% of the world’s food crop production depends on pollinator insect activity. Alarmingly, a serious decline in the pollinator population threatens our global food supply.
This decline is attributed to increased urbanization, pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate change. But there’s hope for reversing this trend. Additional research reveals that 78% of all households have yards, landscapes, or gardens, and efforts made now could significantly help increase the pollinator insect population.
Pollinator-friendly plants
Even more promising, consumers want to help, as discussed in the UF/IFAS publication Are consumers interested in ornamental plants that benefit pollinator insects? One easy solution is this: cultivate more pollinator-friendly plants that provide abundant pollen and accessible nectar for insects.
Consider planting coreopsis, blue sage, firespike, spotted beebalm, scarlet sage, black-eyed Susans, Mexican sunflowers, or zinnias.
For a more complete plant list, visit the UF/IFAS publication Attracting Native Bees to Your Florida Landscape. And don’t forget to include flowering herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, chives, dill, or fennel. Incorporating native plants and Florida wildflowers is ideal, and you can find helpful suggestions in the UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions blog Wildflowers for all Seasons.
Lazy Gardening for Any Space
Here’s the beauty of it – anyone can be a “lazy gardener.” You don’t need a large swath of land or huge flower beds. Those living in apartments and townhouses can easily plant and group pots of pollinator-friendly plants on sunny balconies, patios, or porches.
For a creative touch, repurpose unusual or interesting containers such as a painted galvanized tub, a unique piece of pottery, or even a discarded horse trough. Just make sure the container includes good soil and proper drainage.
If you really want to start from scratch, visit a local garden center where you’ll find labeled packets of seeds specifically blended to produce pollinator-friendly plants or attract bees.
Not only is it gratifying to plant these mixed seeds in generous-sized containers, but it can also be a pleasant mystery to gently broadcast the seeds onto a bed of upturned soil, tend to them properly, and be surprised by what emerges. I personally like to harvest seeds from my previous year’s cutting garden, share them with friends, and keep some in a cool, dark place over the winter to plant the following spring.
If you prefer a larger space, create a vibrant cutting garden in a flower bed or raised bed. To start, germinate your seedlings in late March or early April. Place good potting soil or seed starter mix in small paper cups or biodegradable pots. Into each cup, gently push two or three seeds about ¼” deep into the mix.
Keep the cups moist and place them in a warm window or on a porch where they receive good light. Then, be patient. When the seedlings are three to four inches tall and all danger of frost has passed, transplant them into your garden space. They will thrive, and in the heat of summer, you’ll be rewarded with continuous blooms that provide an ongoing buffet for pollinator insects.
No matter which strategy you choose – whether planting pollinator-friendly plants in simple pots or large beds, growing from seeds, or starting with young seedlings – you will be creating an aesthetically pleasing, environmentally friendly food source for a host of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. More importantly, your efforts will collectively benefit our global food supply.
Mary Lee Kiracofe is a (sometimes lazy) Master Gardener Volunteer with UF/IFAS Extension Leon County, an Equal Opportunity Institution. For gardening questions, email the extension office at AskAMasterGardener@ifas.ufl.edu.
