Deciding on what to plant in your garden may seem overwhelming, but there are plenty of resources to help! A few things to consider are: size of your garden bed, soil conditions, and sunlight.
Designing a garden that looks nice AND is good for pollinators also means considering a few factors like plant height and bloom time. Larger plants can be planted towards the back of a garden, while smaller plants can be placed up front. Plants should be clustered with a minimum of 3 plants of the same species together, as this helps pollinators locate the flowers more easily. And choosing plants that bloom at different times of the season means that there is something pretty to look at in your garden from early summer through late fall, plus there will always be something tasty for the pollinators throughout the seasons!
Resources
Jersey-Friendly Yards has an “Interactive Yard Tool” that can help plant your garden and provides additional resources on landscaping for pollinators, native plants of NJ, and rain gardens.
Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station provides information on how to incorporate native plants into your residential landscape.
The Native Plant Society of NJ has numerous resources on its website including extensive plant lists (what to plant and what NOT to plant), where to buy native plants, and general information on native plants.
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