Photo taken by me. Bumblebee covered in pollen in a Crocus flower.

WHAT:

Pollination is a process mostly done by insects like bees, beetles, flies and other small insects. We call them ¨pollinators¨. Sometimes the wind plays a role in this too, like when the wind carries pollen and it falls on the female organ of the same type of flower. Some flowers self-pollinate, and other ones with the help of pollinators that carry pollen from the male reproductive organ to the female one.

WHY & HOW:

It´s not just for fun, it is a part of the foundation of this very earth we all live on! When a flower is pollinated, it will produce fruit with seeds inside!

For example, when a avocado flowers gets pollinated, the tree produces an avocado with a seed/pit inside. Those avocados fall to the ground,  some get eaten and taken away, but sometimes there are one or 2 left that decompose and sprout creating a new tree. Same thing with other plants: their flower get pollinated and the female organ gets fertilized, seeds/berries/fruits grow, they fall, some sprout, those sprouts turn into plants and the cycle is complete.

The pollinators are attracted to the flowers in the first place for a few reasons: Nectar as a sugery drink and to make honey, pollen for nutrition, color & scent and sometimes even shape for extra recognition.

WHY PLANT NATIVE AND NO GRASS LAWNS:

Most grasses don´t flower so there´s no pollinators, and the enormous amount of grass lawns around the world together with other enviormental issues have caused the insect population to decline by up to 70%.

A better option are clover lawns! Might not be native but atleast they attract some pollinators and have a lot more benefits than grass.

Native plants are important to support the local enviorment, insect and help restore parts of the ecosystem.