Plant a diverse selection of native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees that bloom in succession from spring through fall to support our pals at each stage of their season.

Avoid the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which can kill or harm bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

Create essential habitat by leaving some bare soil for ground-nesting bees and allowing dead stems or leaf litter to remain over the winter. Leaving some areas unmulched or having a wild patch of weeds like clover and dandelion can provide essential food and habitat. Stems and twigs provide shelter and nesting sites for many overwintering bugs.

British Columbia’s main pollinators are:

• Butterflies – Swallowtails (Western Tiger), Whites/Sulphurs (Cabbage White), Fritillaries, Blues (Silvery Blue), Commas (Satyr), and Skippers
• Bees – over 450 native species including bumble bees, sweat bees, mining bees, and mason bees, alongside the non-native Western honey bee
• Hummingbirds – Anna’s and Rufous
• Moths
• Wasps
• Beetles
• Hoverflies

• Douglas Aster (Symphyotrichum subspicatum): A key late-summer food source for butterflies, bees, and painted lady caterpillars.
• Goldenrod (Solidago sp.): A vital late-season nectar source that attracts butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects.
• Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea): Key larval host plant for the Painted Lady butterfly.
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): A hardy perennial that thrives in dry summer conditions and attracts butterflies and beneficial insects.
• Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana): Offers spring nectar and acts as a larval host plant for butterfly eggs.
• Coastal Lupine (Lupinus littoralis): Excellent for improving soil quality. A majestic flower that attracts long-tongued pollinators, bumble bees and butterflies. 
• Red Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum): A critical early spring nectar source for hummingbirds and queen bumble bees.
• Tall Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium): An evergreen shrub that produces bright yellow, nectar-rich flowers in early spring.
• Stinging Nettles: hosts for Red Admiral butterflies.
• Pacific willow (Salix spp): Host for Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Provides early spring nectar for Mourning Cloak butterflies.
• Mallows: Host for Painted Lady and West Coast Lady butterflies.
• Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor): A native shrub that serves as a host plant for the Western Tiger Swallowtail.
• Blue Blossom (Ceanothus sp.): Native shrub popular with many butterfly species.
• Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa): Essential for Monarch caterpillars to lay their eggs on,  and serves as a nectar source for many species.

• Lavender (Lavendula): Highly attractive to bees and butterflies throughout the summer.
• Bee Balm (Monarda): A favourite of bumble bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
• Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus): Easy to grow annual that provides constant summer blooms.
• Borage (Borago officinalis): A “super plant” for bees with edible blue flowers that bloom from June to September.
• Sunflowers (Helianthus): Act as tall beacons for pollinators and provide immense pollen resources.
• Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia): Known as one of the best nectar-producers, keeping pollinators buzzing all summer.
• Purpletop Vervain (Verbena bonariensis): Known to attract Tiger Swallowtails.
• Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): Adds bright yellow color and nectar in summer and fall.
• Sedum/Stonecrop (Sedum sp.): Tough groundcover providing late-season nectar and host sites for several butterflies.
• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): A reliable, tall, nectar-rich staple.
• Honeysuckle Vines (Lonicera): Excellent for providing nectar and attracting varied pollinators.

Butterflies are our favourites! We are creating a very special native butterfly garden and expect to increase the number of species we observe on the land. We will run pollinator counts throughout the summer – get in touch if you’d like to be involved in our counts and learn about the different species. Otherwise, just come on by for a walk around the garden to observe these beauties doing their thing!

Other residents and passersby include hummingbirds, bees, moths, moles, voles, insects, rabbits and a vast array of wild birds. Our Tsawwassen location benefits from stunning surrounding sea, marsh, river and woodland habitats that welcomes a magnificent collection of nesting and migratory birds – Herons and Eagles are regularly spotted hanging out overhead or in the waterway along the perimeter of the land.