Fall is in the air, meaning that you have likely noticed that pollinators may be in short supply in your garden. It is easy to attract pollinators to your backyard garden during the spring and summer when all of the flowers and plants are in full bloom. But what about the colder months of the year? 

The first step is to create a garden landscape that supports these critters even when the temperatures start dropping. Here are five steps that you can take to encourage pollinators to frequent your outdoor space all year long.

Design a Garden Considering the Weather All Year

Most gardeners choose their plants and flowers thinking of the colorful blooms that will pop out during the spring and summer. However, it is important to also consider the other two seasons when designing this space.

Pollinators work throughout all of the seasons, meaning that gardens should be designed to provide pollinator-friendly environments regardless of what the calendar says. Good choices for this time of the year include hardy perennials such as black-eyed Susan blooms. These perennials provide ample stores of food for pollinators before the temperature plunges, and nectar becomes more scarce.

Experts recommend planting crocuses or snowdrops in the late fall. These plants also offer food when most everything else has gone dormant. Save the bright verbena and echinacea plants for the middle of the summer.

In short, a garden should support a tag team of flowers and plants that each take turns blooming. This approach will ensure a steady supply of nourishment for pollinators.

Include Dormant Flowers in the Garden

Gardeners can further support pollinators by including dormant flowers during the winter months. Dormant flowers give pollinators shelter from the cold when the weather turns nasty. Even hollow stems and dry brush can play a supporting role when Old Man Winter settles in. Insects naturally need shelter during harsh conditions, making these dormant flowers and plants a good habitat when they are seeking a respite.

Plant Trees and Shrubs for Extra Food and Shelter

Along the same vein, savvy gardeners also recognize the importance of planting trees, shrubs, and hedges to support pollinators throughout the year. While these plants may seem bland and vanilla, they play a crucial role in delivering both shelter and food to insects, regardless of the temperatures outside.

Flowering shrubs are recognized for being good sources of nectar. The size of these shrubs compared to individual bedding plants also offers nesting opportunities in addition to the shelter they provide. As a bonus, incorporating these larger pieces of vegetation into your outdoor space provides a layered garden with more textures and scents.

Group Flowers Together to Encourage Pollination

While most pollinators are adept at sourcing their food in even the most difficult conditions, you can lend a helping hand by grouping the same types of flowers in clusters. Planting the same species of plants next to each other makes them easier for the pollinators to visually spot. This will inherently encourage them to visit more often.

In addition, planting the same species in concentrated areas makes it easier for the pollinators to bounce from flowerhead to flowerhead without expending as much energy as if they had to do zigzagging across the garden. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for the pollinators to feed so that they are more likely to return in droves.

Encourage a Mess

It may sound counter-intuitive, but it is important to resist the urge to keep your garden tidy if you want to attract pollinators in the colder months of the year. This starts with not cutting all of the plants back at once when fall arrives. Instead, be intentional about creating pockets of messiness throughout the garden.

For instance, dropped leaves serve as shelter and nourishment for insects during the winter. While you do not want to leave out too many dead leaves and plants, isolated patches of unkempt areas will encourage your backyard visitors to thrive.

With the right planning and implementation, your garden will be a haven for pollinators no matter the season.  

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