Resources

Pollinator-safe native plants grown without the use of pesticides are essential for creating a garden that will nourish pollinators without killing or harming them. The nurseries listed here are free of systemic neonicotinoids and other harmful chemicals. Other nurseries carry safe plants but also carry plants with poisons. It is important to always ask a nursery which of their plants do not contain pesticides and to tell them that pesticide-free plants are important to you. Businesses need to know that their customers care in order to change their practices.

NURSERIES:

• Nasami Farm – So. Deerfield, MA.
• New England Wetland Plants,Amherst MA
• Wing and a Prayer, Pollinator Plant Nursery – Cummington, MA
• See Tom Sullivan’s local nursery list on his website, Pollinators Welcome

ORGANIZATIONS/WEBSITES:

• Western Mass Pollinator Networks – This information-rich website will orient you to our local resources and initiatives for promoting pollinator habitat here in Western MA. It provides information about upcoming local workshops, talks, and events. It also provides information and guidance about passing pollinator friendly resolutions in your town.
• The Xerxes Society of Invertebrate Conservation
• Pollinator Partnership: North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
• New England Wildflower Society – New England Wildflower exists to “conserve and promote the region’s native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse landscapes.”They monitor rare plant populationsand keep a seedbank to conserve locally adapted seeds. They do research, offer education, and sell native plants at Nasami Farm in Whately, MA.
• Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
• Pollinators Welcome: local pollinator specialist, landscape designer, and educator Tom Sullivan offers information and services.
• Ellen Sousa at Turkey Hill Brook Farm: Mass.-based eco-gardening specialist and author Ellen Sousa offers services, talks, and links to her excellent articles.
• Monarch Watch
• North American Butterfly Association’s website links to the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, both great sources of butterfly-friendly gardening.
• Friends of the Earth: for information on the Save America’s Pollinators Act
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: see pollinators home page
• Prairie Moon Nursery: great resource for growing native plants from seeds. It lists detailed information on germination requirements for hundreds of species of plants.
• Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners

Learn More About Pollinators and Pollinator Gardens

BOOKS:

• The Xerxes Society Guide to Attracting Native Pollinators
• Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy
• The Green Garden by Ellen Sousa
• Farming with Native Beneficial Insects; The Xerxes Society Guide
• The Living Landscape by Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy
• Pollinators of Native Plants by Heather Holm
• Bees: An Identification and Forage Guide by Heather Holm
• The Bees in Your Backyard by Joseph S. Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril
• Gardening for Butterflies; The Xerxes Society
• Wildflowers of New England by Ted Elliman and the New England Wildflower Society
• Native Plants of the Northeast: A guide for Gardening & Conservation by Donald J. Leopold
• Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines by William Cullina
• Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada by William Cullina