PLANTING POLLINATOR GARDENS

Since pollination promotes healthy gardens and farms, our landscaping should ideally be designed to support pollinators. This is particularly critical since there have been significant declines in U.S. bee, butterfly and bird populations in recent decades (e.g., there are approximately 50 percent fewer managed honeybee hives now than in 1945). Experts attribute this to multiple potential causes, including monoculture, agriculture-induced eliminations of certain plants, climate change, habitat loss and the overuse of pesticides.

"... landscaping should be designed to support and promote healthy pollinators ..."

You can contribute to the solution, right at home, by maximizing your number of indigenous pollen- and nectar-rich plants, minimizing your usage of applied chemicals and adding bird baths, hummingbird feeders and bee houses and hotels. Of course, the latter should be situated at a safe distance (i.e., far from any human activity). Planting some colorful zinnias (above) is a great way to get started and an online search can help you identify some of the plants that are indigenous to your area.

Interestingly, quite a few hotels, resorts and B&Bs now have pollinator-friendly gardens and honeybee apiaries.. One luxury hotel and resort brand even has live-hive monitoring at some of its properties. Additionally, a surprising assortment of hotels have "homegrown" honey in spa treatments, product lines and cuisine and apéritifs. .