Pollinator Pathway Native Plants
Native Plant Trust
Native Plant Lists Starter Guides
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
NWF Native Plant Finder

Native plants nurseries
Locally, we partner with High Ridge Nursery and Designs by Lee. For other regional and online nurseries, see
Where to Buy Native Plants

Watering 
Water newly planted plants deeply at the base of the plant (not the leaves), 2-3 times a week for one season to establish roots. Even if the plant is drought tolerant, water it. Plants from previous seasons may need watering in the heat of the summer. Gauge how wilted they appear.

Insect pest control without pesticides
Pesticides kill ladybugs, fireflies and many beneficial insects. Here are safe alternatives. 
Aphids. Wipe, squish or spray by hand using a soapy solution of warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Be careful not to remove monarch eggs. Attract beneficial insects to eat aphids.
Grubs. Grubs respond to milky spore and other products.
Ticks. The best way to protect from ticks is to check yourself, children and pets when you come indoors. Spraying for ticks is harmful to beneficial insects, aquatic life and pets. Plant plants that attract birds. Birds eat ticks. Ways to repel ticks.  
Mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are best controlled by preventing them from breeding in your yard. Killing them at the larval stage is far more effective than spraying toxins into your trees and shrubs. Learn how to make an easy mosquito "Bucket of Doom" in the section below.

Safe control for wildlife pests like rabbits and deer.
Natural rabbit repellents include spiky plants like rosemary or plants with strong scents like mint, onion and garlic. Physical barriers like low 2-3 ft fencing work for rabbits and 8 ft tall for deer. Deer are repelled by the odor of strongly scented soaps. You can hang them in a mesh bag or grate shavings around the garden. 

Come spend a couple of hours with us weeding, planting and watering at one of three pollinator gardens in Stamford parks. We recommend you bring a drink and wear long sleeves and pants.

Kosciuszko Park
July 8, 10am-12noon

Chestnut Hill Park
July 15, 9-11am

Cove Island Park
Fridays as needed, 9-11am.
Confirm with Melanie Hollas at PollinatorPathwayStamford@gmail.com if you plan to come.

 

Unfortunately, the legislative session in CT ended in disappointment around our hope for passage of SB 963 AN ACT CONCERNING NEONICOTINOIDS FOR NONAGRICULTURAL USE. We will take up the cause again next year because we are losing pollinators at a rapid clip due to neurotoxic neonicotinoids. The bee population in CT alone has declined 99% since the 1990s. We rely on pollinators for 35% of the food we eat. There are safe alternatives to neonicotinoids for pest management. Read how neonics affect birds, bees, water and human health. 

On a positive note, thanks to Pollinator Pathway members' help, the New York State Birds and Bees Protection Act—a bill to curb widespread and wasteful use of neonicitinoids—has passed the legislature! It is awaiting Governor Hochul's signature.