Talking about the birds and the bees

Give some love to biodiversity with your own native pollinator garden

Native plants and pollinators depend on each other for survival — each one struggling to live without the other. Sadly, both populations are in decline.

Native plants rely on indigenous birds, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other species to reproduce; while native pollinators depend on naturally occurring plants for food, shelter, and to support their natural lifecycle.

You can help restore their numbers by adding California native plants to your landscape. Even a native plant potted on your porch can help.

Go to calscape.org to search for plants native to our Orange County climate. Many native seeds, available online, will still germinate even when planted in late winter. For potted varieties, a list of local native plant nurseries can be found at IRWD.com/landscape. Be sure to check out Episode 1 of IRWD’s Shed Show series for some entertaining tips at IRWD.com/shedshow.

Native pollinator gardens make a beeautiful addition to any landscape, and once established, they require very little irrigation. Plant yours to help nature and save water.

This article was originally published in Pipelines, IRWD's monthly customer newsletter. Read more and sign up for other newsletters