This summer, I’ve been slowly digging out space for a new pollinator garden along the wooden fence in our backyard. It will cover about 1,000 square feet when it’s finished, and I'm building it the old-fashioned way—with a shovel, some patience, and about 1 to 2 baby-free hours a day.
There was clearly an existing garden here many years ago, due to the plants and buried stone steps I've found, and the placement of the huge rocks. The past owners neglected the perrenial bed and let it get over run with weeds in the last 5 years. I was originally going to just leave this area untouched until we have a chance to relocate these huge rocks, but after becoming more informed about the crisis our pollinators are facing, I decided we really needed a pollinator garden and this seemed like the perfect spot.
So far, I’ve been turning over all the sod by hand and tackling invasive weeds like black swallow-wort and bindweed. It’s slow work, but deeply satisfying. My goal is to finish digging in the next week, and then I’ll start hoeing regularly to drain the seed bank before planting this fall. That way, the native perennials I’ve chosen will have the best chance to thrive without being crowded out by weeds.
I ordered seeds from Northern Wildflowers—a lovely Canadian seed company with a strong focus on native species. I’m working with about $90 worth of seed, which will cover the whole garden. When you consider how expensive nursery plants are, it’s honestly a great deal. Filling this space with potted perennials would easily run into the hundreds, if not a couple thousand dollars.
Every plant I’ve chosen is native to Ontario, perennial, and pollinator-friendly—meant to draw in bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. I focused on long bloom times and a mix of heights and colours so the garden will be full of life from spring through fall.
Once the seeds are in the ground this fall, I’ll be letting nature take it from there. I’ll share another update when planting begins, but for now, it’s me and my shovel, one row at a time.
