The Pollinator Garden

Welcome to Cottagestead’s resource library dedicated to the pollinators that make our gardens grow.

Every tomato on the vine, every apple in the orchard, every pumpkin on your porch, none of it happens without pollinators. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, and countless other creatures form the invisible workforce behind our harvests.

At Cottagestead, supporting pollinators isn’t just a gardening tip; it’s central to our mission of homesteading where you’re planted.

The truth is, our pollinator friends need us as much as we need them. Habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and climate shifts have put unprecedented pressure on pollinator populations worldwide. But here’s the beautiful part: even the smallest garden, balcony, or window box can become a sanctuary. You don’t need acreage to make a difference, you just need intention.

In this library, you’ll find everything you need to create a pollinator-friendly space, no matter your experience level or square footage. We’ll explore which native plants attract which pollinators in your region, how to provide water and shelter, why “messy” gardens are actually healthier ecosystems, and how to garden without chemicals that harm the very creatures we’re trying to help.

You’ll also discover the quieter pollinators who deserve more appreciation, the solitary bees who don’t live in hives, the night-flying moths who pollinate our moonflowers, the beetles and flies who’ve been at this work far longer than honeybees.

Creating a pollinator garden is one of the most hopeful things you can do. Each flower you plant is a small act of restoration, a way of saying that your corner of the world will be a place where life thrives.

Browse our articles below as our library grows, and let’s create something beautiful together, for us and for them.

The Science

The urgency of pollinator conservation isn’t speculation, it’s documented in peer-reviewed research:

• More than one in five pollinator species in North America faces elevated extinction risk. A comprehensive 2025 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences assessed nearly 1,600 species of vertebrate and insect pollinators and found that bats, bees, butterflies, and moths are the most at risk, with climate change, agriculture, and urban development identified as the major threats. (PNAS, 2025)
• Animal pollinators contribute to 30% of global food production, and bee-pollinated crops alone provide approximately one-third of the total human dietary supply. Without pollinators, researchers project crop prices could rise by 30% and global Vitamin A availability could decline by 8%. (MDPI Insects, 2021; ScienceDirect, 2025)
• Non-bee pollinators are more important than we thought. A landmark PNAS study found that flies, butterflies, beetles, and moths perform 25–50% of all visits to crop flowers. While individually less efficient than bees, they visit more frequently, meaning their total pollination contribution equals that of bees. (PNAS, 2015)

Get Involved: Pollinator Conservation Organizations

Many nonprofits are doing vital work to protect pollinators through habitat restoration, research, education, and advocacy. Consider supporting, volunteering with, or learning from these organizations:

Broad Pollinator Conservation

• Pollinator Partnership The largest nonprofit dedicated exclusively to pollinator protection; runs National Pollinator Week and the Bee Friendly Farming program
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation Science-based conservation of pollinators and their habitats; runs Bee City USA and Bumble Bee Atlas programs
• National Wildlife Federation – Pollinator Conservation Garden for Wildlife program and Million Pollinator Garden Challenge

Monarch & Butterfly Focused

• Monarch Joint Venture National partnership for monarch butterfly migration conservation
• Monarch Watch  Research, education, and habitat programs based at the University of Kansas
• North American Butterfly Association Butterfly counts, habitat programs, and advocacy

Bee Conservation

• The Honeybee Conservancy Sponsor-a-hive programs and urban pollinator gardens
• Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund Partners with landowners to establish science-based pollinator habitat
• Crown Bees  Solitary bee education and conservation

Habitat & Funding

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund Grant funding for habitat restoration projects
• The Nature Conservancy Landscape-scale conservation, including pollinator habitat
• Defenders of Wildlife Policy advocacy for pollinator protection

Library

Create a Pollinator-Friendly Heirloom Flower Kit

7 Heartfelt Gifts for Gardeners Who Cherish Heirloom Seeds

Whether you need the perfect gift idea for heirloom plant lovers or you’re looking for a new way to support your homestead’s pollinators, find solid advice on how to build a kit in our gift guide. Because a thriving vegetable garden depends on its winged visitors, gift a curated seed collection that bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds can’t resist, and you’ll be gifting an entire ecosystem. We’ve selected the best heirloom varieties for each pollinator, plus ideas for making it a memorable gift basket.