Because there are few things as exciting for children in the garden than seeing it aflutter with butterflies and bees, our Seed-to-Plate Instructors encourage us to engage the kids in creating a pollinator paradise in the yard or even in pots on the porch. Here they share 5 tips for creating a pollinator paradise, because if you provide a hospitable habitat, the butterflies and bees and humingbirds will definitely come and bring their friends.
1. Choose a site that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
2. Use a diversity of plants that flower at different times of year. Select plants that have a long-lasting bloom, provide a rich nectar and pollen source and are both drought and heat tolerant. A sunny sample for Houston: 
Texas Bluebonnet, Indian Blanket, Winecup, Gayfeather, Little Bluestem, the Aster family (Zinnia, Coreopsis, Echinacea Sunflower, Rudbeckia & Yarrow), African Bluebells, Lantana, Scarlet Sage and Coralbean
3. Enhance nesting and egg laying sites by avoiding mulch, using compost and leaf litter instead and adding some rocks and other nest hideaways.
4. Avoid toxic pesticides and ground tilling.
5. Limit artificial light sources to protect the natural light/dark cycles
Have fun!
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