This is the perfect time to gather your bee club or other groups to contact local native nurseries (preferably wholesalers) about a volume purchase. Be sure to ask about their pesticide use before you place your order and avoid that that use neonicotinoid insecticides because of their longevity in throughout the plant–stem, leaves and pollen.

Go to the USDA Plants Database to determine if  a certain species is native to your county.

For example, you can plant milkweed plugs (delicious for monarch caterpillars) this fall and they will bloom next year. In the process, you can raise a little money for your community’s pollinator garden program for more plants!