From: Eric Riddle
Columbus
What is able to beautify landscapes, increase garden yields, support bees, increase property values and reduce pollution?
The answer is planting native perennial wildflowers and grasses.
June 17-23 was National Pollinator Week. Locally, the Sierra Club and Friends of Pollinator Parks group celebrated at Blackwell Park with a seed swap and a plant identification tour of the new 1,800 square feet of flowers planted in April.
The flowers are easily viewed from the People Trail between River Road and Parkside Drive.
This summer, please consider the benefits of planting native perennials. Compare the benefits versus spending time fertilizing, mowing, weeding and manicuring grass — a plant with few environmental benefits.
Some of the best online resources for choosing plants can be found at the Xerces Society and the Lady Bird Johnson Flower Center. If you are curious about making your yard a colorful home for bees and butterflies, check out the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge at millionpollinatorgardens.org.
If you want to learn more about ongoing activities in Columbus to support pollinators, check out the Friends of Pollinator Plants and Winding Waters Sierra Club group on Facebook.
Planting with a purpose starts with one seed.
