planting your garden

Preparing the garden area - the no till way!
When establishing a pollinator garden, there’s no need to dig up or till the soil.  In fact, tilling the soil often brings up weed seeds and releases vital nutrients.

When starting with bare ground or an existing bed:
  • Lightly cultivate (weed) the surface.  
  • Only dig holes where plants are to be installed.
  • A layer of thick cardboard placed over a new planting area, covered with compost and/or dead leaves, will improve the texture of your soil and provide a strong barrier to weeds.

About the Project

getting started

plant selection

:: Ready, set, plant!

TIPS & maintenance

Certify your  garden

neighborhood contacts
If replacing grass/lawn:
  • Cover the area you wish to plant in a thick layer of cardboard, or very heavy layer of newspaper (tip, if using newspaper, lightly wet it before laying it on the ground to keep it from blowing away)
  • Cover the newspaper or cardboard with a thick layer compost and/or leaf litter.  (We do not recommend using mulch for this purpose as it may contain substances that will harm new plants.)  Compost will break down over time and benefit your newly planted area by adding nutrients to the soil.
Picture
Goodbye grass, hello garden! A layer of cardboard covered with a layer of compost or leaf litter is all you need to go from grass to garden.

Planting tips

Take special care to remove non-native invasive plants.  
These plants can quickly crowd out native plants, and often do not provide any benefit for pollinators.  For more information about non-native invasives click here.

Water the plants to be dug and/or transplanted the day before.  
This insures that the whole plant will be hydrated when its time to transplant.

Dig and/or transplant when it is overcast or during the cooler evening hours.

Never leave the roots exposed to sun, heat or wind. Remove the plant just prior to planting.

A perfect planting technique: Dig a hole, about twice as large as the diameter of the flower’s pot.   Place the plant in the center of the hole.  If the roots are loose, spread the roots gently under and around the plant.   Fill the hole halfway with water, allow the water to settle the soil around the roots.  Continue to add soil up to the point on the stem of the plant where its natural soil line would be.  Lightly firm the soil around the transplant.  Once again, water the plant.