Is your garden buzzing with excitement this time of year? Ours definitely is, and it’s not just from our giggles of delight but from the hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies busily perusing our new blooms.

We’ve made it our personal mission since moving into our new home to create a pollinators’ mecca in our yard, and boy, have they noticed! We have hummingbirds galore, a bee barn that’s waiting for its newest tenants, and butterflies that are increasing in number every day. We are excited to share some of our favorite pollinating perennials with you because there’s nothing more satisfying than a garden full of life and color!

Poppy mallow or wine cups (Callirhoe involucrata, Zones 4–9) is our first bee-and-butterfly-approved perennial. This beauty grows to about 12 inches tall and 3 to 4 feet wide and is a great sprawler or ground cover. Poppy mallow is a hardy North American prairie native. This specific variety features a drop-dead-gorgeous magenta pink flower that will bloom for you all summer long.

Our next pollinator is sunset hyssop (Agastache rupestris, Zones 5–10). This Southwestern native will wow you with its orange- and raspberry-colored tubular flowers. The foliage has a very distinct smell; some compare it to root beer or licorice. This deer-resistant plant grows between 18 and 24 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Known for being one of the hardiest Agastaches, sunset hyssop attracts a variety of hummingbirds, sphinx moths, and butterflies.

Our last recommendation loved by our winged friends is autumn sage (Salvia greggii, Zones 5–9). This versatile perennial is a perfect addition to any garden bed or container. Autumn sage comes in a variety of colors: red, salmon, pink, and white. The foliage has a delicious, spicy smell, and the plants bloom spring through fall. This plant doesn’t mind occasional deadheading either. Expect it to grow 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 inches wide.

Creating a feast for pollinators in your yard is not only fulfilling to watch, but it’s also considered responsible gardening. Due to the widespread use of pesticides in residential areas, pollinators are struggling to find the food they need to do their job. By creating space in your yard to encourage pollination, you’re helping our planet thrive. We’d call that a win-win! Beyond plantings, be sure to grab a bee and insect house at your local nursery or big box store. The insects will love their new nest site. Happy pollinating!

Sheila Schultz and Laurel Startzel are a mother-daughter duo who founded Denver Dirty Girls Container Gardening while living in Denver, Colorado and have continued their business since moving to Tucson, Arizona.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Bird Houses for Outside Clearance with Copper Guard, Cedar Bird House Outdoor, Bluebird Finch Swallow Wren Chickadee

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

1-1/2" ENTRANCE HOLE SIZE: SISTERBIRD bluebird houses for outside have a properly-sized entrance hole, through this blue bird houses for outside you can attract desirable species to your bluebird house, such as Bluebird, Wren, Tree Swallow, Chickadees, etc. While this blue bird house excluding predators and unwanted occupants, for example, European starlings. HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS: SISTERBIRD birdhouse kits for kids and adults use untreated, unpainted cedar. bluebird nesting box has a rough surface, and birdhouses for outdoors can give birds a foothold as they enter and exit the cedar bluebird house. Cedar of birdhouses for outdoors clearance also can keep out weather-related damage. SAFE HOME FOR FLEDGLINGS: SISTERBIRD Bluebird BirdHouse Box with copper predator guard around the entrance hole can help young birds against predators. These birdhouses for outdoors interior grooves, like a small ladder, help young birds leave the cedar bird houses for outside, especially swallows and bluebirds. A great birdhouses for outside clearance for creating a trail. EASY AND FUN TO ASSEMBLE: Just use a screwdriver, you can experience the thrill of working with your family to build blue bird houses, and feel the pride that comes from building a bird nesting box for little birds. You can also DIY, paint it, making blue bird box special and unique, build your own blue bird houses for outdoors. EASY TO CLEAN & REUSABLE: SISTERBIRD wooden bird houses front door opens for easy cleaning after fledglings have left. When the season is over, clean out the blue bird boxes for outside and save bluebird birdhouses for outdoors clearance for next spring.

Buy at Amazon

Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Revised and Updated Second Edition: A Natural Approach to Pest Control

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

This revised and updated edition of Jessica Walliser’s award-winning Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden offers a valuable and science-backed plan for bringing balance back to the garden. With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research, insights, and voices—learn how to create a healthy, balanced, and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides.

Buy at Amazon

Gilmour 811673-1001 Sprinkler

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

- 43-ft. spray distance (up to 5, 800 sq. ft. coverage)
- Adjustable collar for partial- to full-circle coverage
- Dial precisely sets spray distance
- On/off switch eliminates trips from sprinkler to spigot

Buy at Amazon