Live Better – Plant for Pollinators

Why feeding bees and butterflies helps you de-stress and feel good

By Donna Schuld

There is a tendency to undervalue something as ephemeral as a flower, but when a blossom feeds a busy butterfly and it brings a smile to your face, something meaningful is happening. By choosing plants that attract pollinators, native ones in particular, you are investing in your wellbeing as well as your local ecosystem. 

Monarch butterfly. Photo: Pixabay.

Scientists are looking at the effects that gardening has on our physical and mental health and discovering that time spent outdoors caring for plants produces multiple benefits. Let’s explore attainable ways you can live healthier when you attract butterflies and bees to your yard. 

A Natural Mood-Lifter

We all know that simply being in nature can help us feel calmer and happier. Gardening takes that a notch higher. In an article on APNews.com, Sarah Thompson, a professionally registered horticultural therapist, says that 20 – 30 minutes of gardening a few times a week can reduce stress and lift mood.  Thompson points out that gardening goes past the effects of time spent passively outdoors, and increases the benefits through the work involved in actively nurturing plants along.

Nurturing plants can lead to a sense of wellbeing. Photo: Canva.

Being in the sunshine and getting your hands in the soil also reap benefits such as higher serotonin levels and contact with beneficial microbes linked to mood enhancement.  Plus, gardening has the effect of suppressing your primary stress hormone: cortisol. 

Are You Mindful?

Ever come home from work feeling stressed out? Try taking a walk around your garden. The sense of accomplishment that comes from raising plants that feed pollinators can fight mental problems like depression and anxiety. Also, watching the slower, almost dance-like movements of a butterfly can reverse some of the negative effects of our over-use of screens. Watching them helps us stay present and it gives our brain a break.

Reducing Pesticides

Anyone serious about attracting pollinators to their garden or yard should refrain from using any pesticides or herbicides on their lawn or garden as butterflies and other insects are highly vulnerable to them. Reducing these harmful chemicals for the sake of the pollinators is also beneficial for us humans, as it brings down our exposure to substances that have been linked to certain health risks. It’s also a good idea if you have children as they tend to play in the very areas that get treated with chemicals.

Grow a More Pollinated Garden

For those of us with a variety of fruits and vegetables in our regular garden, introducing a pollinator garden into our yard will boost crop production. Crops like tomatoes and zucchini rely on pollination so keeping bees and butterflies around will benefit them, and in turn deliver bigger yields.

A butterfly explores a flowering plant. Photo: Pixabay.

Lower Maintenance Long-Term 

While it takes a bit of effort to select, plant, and water those native species in your new pollinator garden, you can look forward to a much easier summer next year. This is an investment in your future enjoyment of your yard, as these plants will be relatively self-sufficient after their first year in a new home. Native plants in particular tend to put longer roots down, which benefits their neighbors as they draw up more nutrients to the surface. 

Brighter Future

Bringing native plants that attract pollinators into your yard will help you achieve a healthier, happier lifestyle. These benefits come without a prescription or alarming side effects. And, scientists are impressed with the effectiveness of small scale pollinator gardens in urban areas, suggesting that if more people put in even a small plot of native plants, we could see an improvement in the butterfly and bee populations. 

Planting for pollinators produces a win-win situation, for butterflies and your wellbeing. You and your family could be feeling calmer and less anxious this summer and it only takes a little bit of planting and watering to get results. 

Source credit: “Gardening’s hidden benefits: How digging in the dirt could bolster mental wellbeing” by Jessica Damiano, APNews.com, August 25, 2025. ChatGPT.