Creating Functional Habitat for Pollinators and Birds

Eight years ago, Emily Sampson volunteered to create and maintain spaces along a designated greenway in Black Mountain, North Carolina, to support and care for pollinators.

“The idea wasn’t to simply plant a garden of pretty flowers, but to choose from a list of plants, well suited for specific site conditions, that have the greatest benefit to pollinators, in order to create a patch of wild meadow,” Sampson said.

“My inspiration … was largely influenced by University of Delaware Entomologist Doug Tallamy. His books, Nature’s Best Hope and Bringing Nature Home, are great resources for understanding the importance of creating functional habitat for pollinators and birds, along with knowing which native plants have the greatest benefit in each region,” she said.

Unlike traditional landscaping, which mostly focuses on aesthetics, Sampson focused on selecting plants that are well suited for specific conditions and have the greatest benefit to pollinators.

‘Conceptualized Gardening’

Sampson moved from South Florida to Western North Carolina at the age of 11, and says she fell in love with the natural world she found all around her.

“One of my earliest experiences working with plants was as a high school student in the Youth Conservation Corps. I had the rare opportunity to conduct a survey of local flora along the Blue Ridge Parkway with botanist Chris Ulrey,” she said. “In the years following, I continued to learn about native plants through my horticulture internships at the WNC Nature Center and the Botanical Gardens of Asheville,” she said. “I was also working on a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. After graduating, I worked for a small local native plant nursery and for North Carolina State University at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center. I also had my daughter, Calia, who I named after a genus of native meadow wildflower,” she said.

In 2009, Sampson moved from Asheville to Black Mountain and began a career in greenhouse growing as the head grower and production manager at Painters Greenhouse, located in Old Fort.

“Over the next eight years I was a driving force that shaped the focus of their business on growing natives and pollinator plants. Additionally, I worked as a grower at Banner Greenhouses, also in McDowell County, a wholesaler of plant material for Metrolina Greenhouses and Lowe’s,” she said.

Her ultimate goal, however, became to introduce conceptualized gardening to private landowners, to grow and install native plants that encourage pollinator habitats. The focus was to help convert parcels of residential or commercial land into beautiful wildflower meadows that benefit butterflies, bees, birds, and other wildlife. 

Growing to Coexist

What’s the difference between a garden and a meadow? 

“Although a meadow is larger than your typical garden bed, that isn’t the only difference,” Sampson said. “A pollinator garden is a well-tended space that is generally mulched between individual plants. A meadow is a more naturalized space that is not mulched, and the space between wildflowers is filled with native grasses. The methods of site preparation and the planting and seeding process are also different for a garden versus a meadow,” she said.

Sampson decided to open her own landscaping firm in order to help landowners with the best advice on creating pollinator-friendly properties that benefit bees, butterflies, birds and other wildlife. 

It is called Patchwork Meadows.

Sampson said she helps landowners understand that their parcel “is part of the larger patchwork that can allow native pollinators to thrive inside of the ever-increasing human occupation of the landscape. These patches create wildlife corridors through our towns and neighborhoods that allow both residential and migrating populations of pollinators to coexist with us in urban and suburban areas,” she said.

“As our cities and towns continually grow—and many of our green spaces fill up with exotic invasive species—it is necessary to create habitat for pollinators, if we don’t want to lose them. So many bird, bee and butterfly species are in dramatic decline due to habitat loss,” she said. “Luckily, many of the plants that pollinators like best are also attractive to people, so gardening for them is a win-win.” 

Landowners may wonder if a yard or natural space needs certain characteristics for it to be a good pollinator habitat.

“If you are using native plants in the landscape, you are providing pollinator habitat, Sampson said. “Meadows and gardens with native plants allow us to enjoy pollinators up close, and are far superior to traditional lawns in terms of pollinator habitat.

“Though I often focus on full-sun spaces for pollinator gardens and meadows, there are native perennial wildflowers for shade that are good for pollinators, as well. Replacing any nonnative species on your property with natives is the single best thing you can do to help pollinators,” she said.

Forests also help pollinators survive, if a landowners wants more substantial growth. “Native trees such as oak, black cherry, birch, maple crabapple and hickory are the best at supporting pollinators.”

Connecting with nature

“Helping people create a place to connect with nature in their own yard not only helps wildlife, but can restore a missing connection in people’s lives to the natural world,” Sampson said. “Being surrounded by a healthy, diverse ecosystem—where butterflies bring color to our life and we can watch birds raise a nest of young—is more important for our own mental health and well-being than most of us realize,” she said.

“I truly love walking through a meadow or garden I have created and watching the bees … or observing the changing life stages of a caterpillar or butterfly. I love knowing that they can thrive in the spaces we create for them.”