As the Monarch butterfly population declines and honey bee losses mount in recent years, we are coming to realize the serious challenges facing pollinators in Ontario. Rather than feeling overwhelmed with all the bad news about pollinators, residents can take action by planting native species that are adapted to our soils and climate and beneficial for butterflies and other pollinators. So this Spring Oakvillegreen Conservation Association launches an online sales drive of Pop-up Pollinator Garden Kits along with a selection of native shade trees, in order to support monarch and honey bee populations.
Oakvillegreen’s Pop-up Pollinator Garden Kits are an ecologist-approved collection of native plants and shrubs that will thrive in Halton clay and provide instant colour and beauty while supporting a diversity of bugs and birds.
Kits come in two sizes:
- The large kit will cover an area of approximately 40 sq.ft. and includes 3 shrubs (in 3 gallon pots) and 25 perennials (in 5 inch or 1 gallon pots).
- The small kit is suited to an area approximately 25 sq.ft. and includes 2 shrubs and 15 perennials.
A full species list is available online but kits include serviceberry, alternative leaf dogwood, New Jersey tea, black eyed Susan, butterfly milkweed, and big leaf blue aster. The kits cost $250 and $150 (including taxes), respectively, and will be available for order via www.oakvillegreen.org until April 26th, 2015. Quantities are limited. Orders will be processed on a first come/first served basis.
“With our Pollinator Garden Kits, we’ve taken the guess work and effort out of selecting and sourcing native plants,” says Oakvillegreen Education Program Manager, Beatriz Gomez. “Determining what is actually native to our region and suited to an urban garden can be a challenge. Native plants are very difficult to find, and even then, many have been grown with the use of pesticides. Purchasers can be assured that our affordable pre-assembled kits will contain a variety of beautiful, locally native plants that have been grown without the use of pesticides”.
Pollinator Garden Kits are intended to help increase pollinator habitat in our Town which is important for pollinators but also for our own health.
Pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of over 80% of all flowering plants, including one third of the food we eat, but they are under threat from a variety of factors, including habitat loss, climate change, invasive pests and diseases, and pesticides. Planting native trees, shrubs and flowers, may seem like a small action, but when multiplied by each yard, balcony or schoolyard, it will have a dramatic effect for pollinators and for our quality of life.
Ready to plant Pollinator Garden Kits, native shade trees and other plants ordered online will be
available for pick-up at the Town of Oakville Municipal Greenhouse on Cornwall Road on May 9th, 2015 from 9am to 12pm.
To learn more about this program, or to place your order please visit our website at www.oakvillegreen.org or email Beatriz Gomez at [email protected]. Oakvillegreen also offers workshops and educational presentations on diverse environmental and sustainability topics.