Why Invite Pollinators Into Your Garden?

🌸 Bzzness is blooming.

By Eldrick Murphy, Airmid's Healing Gardens + Greenhouse Steward

You won’t find us shouting miracle cures or one-size-fits-all answers around here. But when it comes to what truly makes a garden thrive, this isn’t just folklore.

It’s the insects.

Plants and pollinators have evolved side by side. Whether we love bugs or just tolerate them, the truth is we need them. And so do our gardens. Over 40% of the foods on our plates rely on insect pollination. That includes most fruits and vegetables. In other words, what we grow in a garden.

But pollinators are struggling.

New research shows that flowers growing in polluted urban soil can pass contaminants into their nectar, poisoning the very insects we’re trying to protect. What we once thought were safe havens, like urban lots full of wild blooms, may be doing more harm than good if the soil isn’t clean.

A bumblebee delicately lands on a vibrant purple thistle, collecting nectar and playing a crucial role in pollination.

So should we stop planting flowers?

Absolutely not.

The solution isn’t to give up. It’s to plant smarter. When we grow flowers in healthy, chemical-free soil, we’re feeding pollinators real food. The kind they evolved with. The kind that keeps them, and us, thriving.

In a home garden, flowers do more than look pretty. They attract pollinators exactly when your veggies need them. It’s a simple way to increase yield and support fragile insect populations at the same time.

Want to help? Start with plants that are both medicinal and pollinator-friendly. Whether you're growing in beds or balcony boxes, there’s something for every space.

🌿 Coming next: 5 Medicinal Plants Pollinators Love. And why they belong in your garden too!