Shelter Island Reporter gardening column: Protecting the pollinators

Goldenrods bring a certain vibrancy to the garden in the fall, not just for their golden hues, but for the myriad of insects that buzz, hover, crawl and dance all over them.

I’ve observed ladybugs, metallic green sweat bees, a candy-striped leafhopper, locust borer beetles, a spring azure butterfly, flower flies, solitary wasps, a sawfly and countless bumble bees.

All these visitors are pollinators. By flying from one flower to another they transfer pollen, an essential process for flowering plants to reproduce.

Nearly 75% of all plants on earth require animals for pollination and a third of all the food we eat comes from pollinated plants. Bees are considered to be the most important and effective pollinators because they actively collect pollen to feed their offspring.

Flowering plants and bees have evolved closely for about 130 million years. Colorful petals and floral scents attract bees, whose activity and anatomy ensure pollination.

Many of our native bees — there are an estimated 447 species in New York State — have evolved with and rely on specific native plants. They also require wild unkempt areas to build their nests.

Without pollinating insects, we would live in a bland world with far fewer colorful flowers and a restricted diet. Yet it is alarming to learn that populations of insects are plummeting worldwide.

According to a research paper in the journal Science, published in 2020, there is a global decline in insects at a rate of 9% per decade. Land development has fragmented protected conservation areas and the preponderance of highly manicured and lawned suburbs have left pollinators with habitats few and far between.

As gardeners we can play our part in restoring habitat for pollinators. We can reduce areas of lawn and grow flowers of all shapes and colors that bloom in succession from early spring through fall. We can grow native, open-pollinated plants.

We can group the same plant species together so that bees do not have to travel so far to forage. We can allow for some rough areas on the lawn or edges of the garden: dandelions, clover and other weeds provide nectar and pollen in early spring; bare ground and plant debris are sites for bees to build their nests; leaf litter is shelter for overwintering insects including bumblebee queens.

We can refrain from using pesticides, which not only kill the target pest but also pollinators and beneficial predatory insects.

Such gardens are alive with color, movement and sound. The hum and buzz of insects is a reassurance that they still abound. Bees are still in business, sipping nectar, collecting pollen and enriching our world.

Sue Avery, a member of the Three Village Garden Club, is a well-known accredited organic land care professional, with years of horticultural knowledge and landscape design. She is encouraging Garden Clubs to embrace the idea of creating a network of pollinator pathways across Long Island.

For more information, visit her website naturesedgegardens.com/projects