Since bees and butterflies are attracted to flowers, it's easy to plant a garden that both you and they can enjoy.

"Planting for pollinators is an important action homeowners can take to help save our bees and our food supply," said Ginger Pryor, former state coordinator for Penn State's Master Gardener Program, in a recent article in Penn State News.They need pollen and nectar from April through October, so plan a garden that will always have something blooming. A sunny location will make more nectar available during the day and will help feed pollinators.A source of water is equally important. Bees and butterflies will drink the dew on the leaves of plants, and a shallow dish of fresh water in the garden would provide water in the hotter part of the day. They also like to land on a flat stone in a sunny garden to rest.With the declining population of certain species of butterflies, you can go the extra step by providing them with habitat as well as food.Some butterflies produce more than one generation in a single season, and to do so they need host plants where they can lay their eggs and seek shelter.Butterfly caterpillars can only thrive on a specific plant or a single group of closely related plants. It's well-known, for example, that monarch caterpillars feed only on milkweed plants.The same is true for other common Pennsylvania butterflies. Pearl crescents lay their eggs on perennial smooth leaved asters.A native species you can plant is the white wood aster which blooms from August to October.By including this fall blooming flower in your garden, you provide the pearl crescent with food, cover and a place to raise its young.In addition to the pleasure of watching this beautiful butterfly flit over your flowers, you also are making sure its environment is sustainable.Here are a few tips you can keep in mind when you are deciding what to plant in your pollinator friendly garden.• When choosing species of plants that will benefit bees and butterflies, avoid hybrid strains with "doubled" flowers. They often lack pollen and nectar as a result of hybridization. In my garden, I've planted doubled impatiens in my border the past couple of years, and I've never seen any insect visit the plants.• Local pollinators evolved with native plant species and are more likely to be attracted to native species.• Use color in your garden. Butterflies like warm colors while bees will visit the cooler colored flowers.• Consider your site when you include native plants in your garden. Some of these plants don't look good when they are done blooming. However, if you cut them down you lose the value the plants provide as habitat. One solution to this problem is to plant a soft edge or hedge row at the boundary of your property. You can create a backdrop to your native flowers with some evergreen shrubs, some fruit-bearing shrubs, and perhaps even some small flowering and fruiting trees.• Eliminate pesticides in your pollinator garden and in other flowering plant beds on your property. Pesticides can kill the good bugs as well as the pests. In recent research from Penn State, scientists proved that pesticides formerly considered "bee friendly" kill the bee larvae in the hive. If you do need to spray, read the labels carefully and select the least toxic materials.• Wait out the winter before doing any garden cleanup. Leave dried plant stalks in the garden through the winter because these materials are home to hibernating insects. When you remove the debris in the spring, leave it in a pile until the weather is warm enough for butterflies to emerge from their winter nests.Penn State Extension provides a fact sheet called "Gardening for Butterflies," which can be found at

http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/landscaping-for-wildlife/pa-wildlife-8.It lists common Pennsylvania butterflies and their host plants, and also gives excellent instructions on how to plan and plant a butterfly garden.For those interested in starting your own pollinator garden, a spring workshop, "Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Bees," is being planned. The program will begin at 1 p.m. April 5 at the Carbon County Environmental Center, 151 White Bear Drive, Summit Hill.The program is free, but space is limited. Pre-registration is required by calling the Penn State Extension office, Carbon County, 570-325-2788 or emailing

CarbonExt@psu.edu.Please provide your name, address, phone number and email when registering.For more information on Penn State Extension and upcoming programs, visit

extension.psu.edu/carbon.Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.