The Pollinator Garden and Memorial Grove

Introduction

In September 2023, a fantastic project came to fruition with the official grand opening of the Pollinator Garden and Memorial Grove. 

This area, since its inception in 2017, has been maintained by volunteers who have spent countless hours planting, weeding, watering and maintaining the plants and structures there.  

At this peaceful spot you’ll find a Bugtel (Insect Hotel) with more than a dozen shelters for nesting and overwintering pollinators, a Pollinator Garden filled with pollen- and nectar-rich plants for hungry pollinators, a stunning pallet art collage of the 25+ plant species in the Pollinator Garden, an adorable Bee Photo Op Board with holes where people can place their faces to create a fun photo, and a Memorial Grove with 4 Serviceberries and a comfy bench from which to admire the plants, pollinators and other wildlife attracted to the area.

Read on to find out more! 

Location

You’ll find the Pollinator Garden and Memorial Grove on Loyalist Township property in Bath, Ontario, but you’ll have to go looking for it as it’s tucked away in a quiet spot!  

It’s accessible by walking one of two paths, starting out either from the Bath Pickle Ball and Tennis Courts on Church Street, or from the end of Empire Court.  A sign mounted on the chain link fence behind the Bath Public School guides you to its location, just north of the pine tree grove. 

Given that the site of the Memorial Grove and Pollinator Garden is behind the Bath Public School, the Club has extended an invitation to the school to utilize the area as an outdoor classroom, thereby enhancing the students’ experiential learning.

The Bugtel Insect Hotel

The idea for the area started back in 2017 when club members led by Wendy O’Neill were inspired to create a haven for insects, known simply as the “Insect Hotel”.   Bumblebees and solitary bees and some butterflies are declining, so by providing homes for them we can contribute to their conservation.  

The site chosen was on Loyalist Township property, behind the Bath Public School.  It’s an ideal spot away from high-traffic areas that is also sheltered from the prevailing winds – which can be dangerous to small pollinators – by two large evergreens.  One corner of the area is situated next to a wet, swampy area much appreciated by amphibians.

The main structure is made of discarded wood pallets donated by Kaitlin Group and Schell’s Market. Other natural materials provide “rooms” in the “hotel.”  The Bugtel’s nesting and sheltering materials are situated on the south and east sides of the structure.  This ensures the hotel receives maximum sunlight, which beneficial insects like bees need to warm up and develop their young.

In the fall of 2017, most of the small holes drilled into wood for solitary bees were filled with larvae and plugged up with mud.  This was a sure sign that the club’s efforts were paying off.  As did winning the OHA Pollinator Haven Award that year! 

In 2018 the club’s attention turned to providing food resources for the Bugtel’s inhabitants, surrounding it with native plants rich in nectar and pollen.  The Pollinator Garden was born!  

In 2023 Chris Thibeault fitted the Bugtel with a roof to protect its inhabitants from rain and excess moisture, which can degrade the materials and potentially harm the bugs. 

In 2025 we’ll be refreshing the Bugtel contents with additional materials like broken plant pots, pinecones, and wood slices.  We’ll also be adding more insect sheltering and nesting options with a mason bee hotel and DIY projects like Ladybug Lodges, a Toad Abode, Bumblebee Hotels, a Bug Snug, Butterfly Puddler, and a sandy habitat for ground-nesting bees.  You might want to try some of these in your own garden! 

What’s in our Bugtel?

Did you know that an average garden can hold about 2,000 species of insects? By providing the right habitat, we can greatly increase the numbers of beneficial insects in the garden. In this section you’ll learn about some of the habitats that we provide for them.  

Since over 90% of bees lead solitary lives and 70% of those are ground-nesting, we’ve provided a sandy area where female digger and sweat bees can excavate nests and raise their young. 

To help the other 30% of solitary bees who are cavity nesters, we’ve provided a parchment-lined mason bee house for mason bees and large pieces of wood drilled with various size holes for large carpenter bees. Meanwhile, in the PG we leave pity/hollow plant stems in place for nesting small carpenter bees.  They lay their eggs in the stem or wood cavities, and then plug them with mud, pith, saliva or leaves to keep their developing larvae safe from predators and the elements. 

We’ve provided a Bumblebee Hotel stuffed with kapok that resembles the cavities that queens often use for nesting, like abandoned rodent burrows.  If she finds our hotel suitable, she’ll build a few waxen pots within the cavity, fill them with nectar and pollen, and then lay her eggs on top. 

Bees and butterflies get thirsty after a day of foraging for nectar and pollen, so a Bee Waterer and Butterfly Puddler provide them with hydration and nutrients.  

Frogs and toads, who eat slugs and other garden pests, need water, and therefore the Bugtel was built in a spot where water is available.  We’ve also provided an in-ground Toad Abode to give them a place to rest and hide in, especially during the day or in the summer sun.  

Dead wood is essential for wood-boring beetles, and it also supports many fungi. Crevices under the bark hold centipedes, woodlice, and other minibeasts.

Wood slices serve as shelter and breeding grounds for various insects, especially those that utilize or create holes in wood. They provide a variety of spaces for insects to nest, hibernate, and reproduce.  Sometimes you’ll find miner bees nesting under the leaf litter.

Straw, hay, loose bark and dry leaves provide a frost-free space for centipedes, millipedes and spiders. These insects break down the material to compost, an essential part of a garden recycling system. 

A “leaves the leaves” approach provides warmth and protection to hibernating wildlife during the winter months, like frogs, salamanders, and toads, as well as insects like butterflies, moths, and various types of caterpillars.  

A Bug Snug is a pyramidal structure of 3 sticks lashed together that holds layers of hollow stems, dried out flower stems, twigs and cuttings resulting from garden maintenance.  It’s a great way to transform garden detritus into an effective spot for pollinators and minibeasts to shelter and/or overwinter.  

Since we won’t use pesticides in our PG, we rely on other wildlife to keep aphids, mites and other pests under control for us, a concept that’s also known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM).  We make our PG and Bugtel a welcome place for these beneficial insects by providing pinecone Ladybug Lodges and Lacewing Homes made with pop bottles and corrugated cardboard.

Resources

Many of the items in our Bugtel are easy DIY projects that require few materials. They’re a great way to encourage kids to investigate their own back yard, looking for different plants, insects and other signs of life.  Check these out! 

Toby and Roo – How to Build a Bug Hotel

Natural History Museum – How to Make a Ladybug Lodge

Wild About Gardens – How to build a pine cone ladybird hotel

Gardeners’ World – How to Make a Lacewing Home

Gardeners’ World – How to Make a Bumblebee Nest

Gardenista – The Bug Snug

Hearth & Vine – How to Make a Butterfly Puddler

Buddha Bee Apiary – How to create a safe bee watering station

PTES – How to Make a Habitat for Ground-Nesting Bees

The Pollinator Garden (PG)

Introduction

In 2018 the Pollinator Garden was born when club members surrounded the Bugtel with a garden planted full of native plants rich in nectar and pollen.  

In 2023 using a generous donation from Lafarge Canada, club members led by Janice Firth expanded the Pollinator Garden, creating a veritable bullseye of colour, for attracting and sustaining even more local pollinators.  Mike Whalen provided lumber for the sides of our raised pollinator garden.  An illustration of all the flowering plants growing there was captured in a lovely pallet art collage painted by the late Bonnie Fredenburgh.   

In 2024 the Pollinator Garden Guide was created by Kim Bonner to provide helpful information on how to care and feed the 25+ plants in our PG, while being careful to preserve pollinators’ nesting and overwintering habitats.

In 2025, we’ll be protecting emerging plants from munching bunnies, adding more diversity with Little Bluestem Grass and False Indigo, adding an obelisk to support towering False Sunflower stalks, continuing our efforts to eradicate invasive marsh woundwort, making sure we have 3 of each plant variety, and adding some garden art to appeal to the kiddos.  

In spring 2025, our club applied for Wildlife-Friendly Habitat Certification with the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) and were accepted because our PG and MG provide food, water, and shelter to wildlife, while using gardening practices that are earth-friendly and sustainable.   Getting CWF certification is a great way to show the collective impact of what Canadians are doing to help wildlife thrive and to inspire others to do the same.   For more information about what it involves, visit  https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/gardening-for-wildlife/action/get-certified/   Maybe your home garden qualifies?!  

What is a Pollinator?  

Plants are pollinated by pollinators collecting nectar and pollen, with pollen from the male part (anther) of a flower sticking to their bodies and then being transferred to the female part (stigma) of another flower as they move from bloom to bloom. This process is vital for a diverse range of reasons, including food security, biodiversity, and the overall health of ecosystems. 

Ontario’s pollinators include bees (both wild bees and managed honeybees), butterflies, moths, wasps, flies, beetles, and hummingbirds.  

Here are some interesting facts about the pollinators you might spot in our club’s Pollinator Garden. 

• Canada has over 800 species of bees, about half of which live in Ontario.  Bees collect pollen using a combination of their fuzzy bodies, specialized brushes on their legs, and pollen baskets.
• There over 100 butterfly species in Ontario, some of the most common being Monarchs, Swallowtails, Painted Lady, Viceroy, Eastern tailed-blue and Skippers.  They collect pollen on their legs, proboscis, or bodies while feeding and then transfer it to the next flower.
• There are over 3,300 moth species in Ontario. Some of the most common are Luna Moth, Hickory Tussock Moth, Blinded Sphinx and Pale Beauty.  Their bodies, especially their furry legs and bodies, can become coated with pollen as they visit flowers.
• Hoverflies look like bees but are smaller, have only one set of wings, and compound eyes like other fly species. They are excellent flyers, able to hover and even fly backwards. Their hairy bodies collect pollen, which then gets transferred to other flowers when they visit them.
• The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is the most common one seen in Eastern Ontario.  When reaching into tubular flowers with their long beaks and tongues, pollen can get stuck on their beaks and feathers. As they move to the next flower they unintentionally brush against the stigma, transferring the pollen.
• Several types of beetles are known to feed extensively on pollen and move between different flowers, such as soldier beetles, scarabs, long horned beetles, and sap beetles.  Pollen grains stick to their bodies as they move from flower to flower.

What is a Pollinator Garden? 

A Pollinator Garden (PG) is a collection of native and non-native plants that are beneficial to pollinators by providing pollen and nectar, hosting larvae and/or supplying nesting and overwintering sites.  The plant selection in a pollinator garden is designed to attract a wide range of pollinators by incorporating different heights, colours and enticing scents, as well as providing an uninterrupted parade of blooms throughout the growing season.    

Pollinators co-evolved with native plants, meaning they’ve adapted to each over time.  For example, some flowers have evolved long, tubular shapes to attract pollinators with long tongues, like hummingbirds, while other plants have evolved to be pollinated by specific bee species.  Plants may also produce a variety of chemical to attract pollinators to them.   

Did you know that we have over 25 plant species in our club’s pollinator garden?  Check them out in our Pollinator Garden Guide.  In the guide you’ll find information about the plants that are housed there and how to care for them, while preserving pollinators’ nesting and overwintering habitats.  

If you’re interested in creating a pollinator patch in your garden, you can accomplish it with much less than 25 species though!  If you plant three each of three species of native plants that bloom during each of the three growing seasons (spring, summer, and fall), you’ll ensure a continuous supply of food and shelter for pollinators throughout the year, also known as the 3x3x3 pollinator garden method. 

Butterflies can learn to associate other colors with positive experiences, like the reward of nectar, and will then be drawn to those colors as well. 

Are you curious about what types of flowers various types of pollinators like?  Here’s an overview of their innate preferences.  Note that this is just a general guideline.  A pollinator may learn to associate other colours with the reward of nectar and so will be drawn to these colours as well.  

• Bees are drawn to fragrant flowers in blue, purple, violet, and yellow shades. They prefer flowers that are bowl-shaped or tubular. They’re unable to detect the colour red!
• Butterflies prefer bright colours like red, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and white.  They’re drawn to tubular and flat-clustered flowers. While unable to detect scent, they can taste with their feet!
• Hoverflies visit white, cream or yellow flowers. They’re known for their amazing flight skills while gathering nectar and pollen. They’re able to hover and even fly upside down!
• Beetles enjoy scented flowers, particularly ones that are white or pale green and are bowl-shaped. They’re the world’s first pollinators, having evolved before bees and butterflies!
• Hummingbirds are attracted to warm colours like red, orange, and pink. They prefer tubular-shaped flowers, which they can reach with their long tongues. They consume double their weight in nectar and insects every day!
• Moths are attracted to light-coloured flowers that are visible at dark. They use their proboscis to seek out flowers with strong, sweet scents.

Invasive Plants

Marsh woundwort

While bees flock to this plant for food and pollen, Marsh Woundwort is a non-native and highly invasive plant that outcompetes and kills off other beneficial plants in our Pollinator Garden. 

Marsh Woundwort spreads through seeds and underground runners, allowing it to quickly colonize small areas. 

Pollinator Garden Maintenance   

The garden is maintained by our Habitat Helpers volunteers on a rotating schedule throughout the growing season.  They keep the plants watered, and the area clear of weeds and invasive plants.  They also keep the fast-growing plants in check, so they don’t crowd out the delicate plants like Old Man’s Whiskers and Eastern Pasque Flower.  

Dave and Adam Bryant do a great job of keeping our water supply flowing by filling up the on-site barrel whenever it gets low.  They also pitch in with other maintenance work to keep the area looking tidy.  

While everyone strives to have a lovely garden, it’s important to note that the PG is a pollinator habitat first and a garden second, so garden maintenance activities are aligned with that philosophy.  Here are some of the basic principles:  

• To avoid disturbing overwintering pollinators, delay spring maintenance activities until temperatures are consistently around 15C.  Do as little as possible as late as possible.
• Save the stems to provide cozy cavities for stem-nesting bees, leave the hollow/pithy plant stalks in place
• To provide shelter and food for insects, pollinators, and other wildlife over the harsh winter months, adopt the “leave the leaves” approach 
• Avoid toxic herbicides, pesticides or fungicides 
• When plant material needs to be replaced, only select “neonic-free” specimens   
• Avoid mulch since it prevents solitary ground-nesting bees from making nests. 
• Use a Bug Snug to repurpose garden detritus into a haven for pollinators and amphibians who are sheltering or hibernating. 

For more information refer to the Pollinator Garden Guide, which describes each plant in the PG along with instructions for maintaining plant health and preserving pollinators’ habitat.  In Appendix B you’ll find a handy schedule of maintenance activities, organized by season.

For more information on how to “Save the Stems” refer to this brochure created by the Xerces Society that explains the nesting cycle for solitary stem-nesting bees and how to protect them (and their nests) year-round.