TIPS AND TRICKS

The NCC’s tips for making a yard more welcoming for pollinators include:

• Find out what kind of soils and natural plant communities once existed in your area to get a better idea of the types of native plants that should thrive in your garden. Information on native plant societies and the species native to specific parts of Canada can be found at: https:// canadainvasives.ca/programs/be-plant-wise/

• Ask your local garden centre staff or native plant supplier about where their plants are grown. While they may carry the species you are looking for, if they are imported from a distance away they may not be hardy for your backyard conditions. It is best to find a nursery that has native plants that were grown locally.

• Invasive species crowd out native ones and can hinder the native plants you are trying to grow. To find out which plants to avoid, visit the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s website or your provincial invasive species council for information. You can also download the free iNaturalist app to help identify what is already in your yard.

• For details on some commonly found invasive species, visit natureconservancy.ca/en/whatwe-do/resource-centre/ invasive-species/

• More information is available on the Nature Conservancy’s website at www.act.natureconservancy.ca.