How to Plant a Pollinator Garden | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook heads to Texas to plant a garden that attracts butterflies and other pollinators. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)
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Shopping List for How to Plant a Pollinator Garden:
Pollinator plants
Organic compost
Mulch
Water-feature vessel
Trellis
Pedestals for water-feature vessel
Goldfish

Tools for How to Plant a Pollinator Garden:
Pitchfork, for mixing in compost
Shovel, for digging planting holes
Trowel, for digging small planting holes
Rake, for spreading mulch

Steps for How to Plant a Pollinator Garden:
1. Prepare the area for the garden by tilling the soil [not shown].
2. Put down a coating of compost over your entire garden area and mix it in with soil using a pitchfork.
3. Dig holes for your plants using a shovel. Keep the depth an inch shallower than the height of the root ball.
4. Remove the plants from their nursery containers. If the roots are visible, loosen the roots and soil with a cultivator. Place the plants into the holes and cover with soil.
5. For climbing plants, attach the vines to the trellis to give them room to climb.
6. Put down 2 inches of mulch. Use a rake to spread the mulch around the plants, but don’t cover the stems.
7. Fill the water-feature vessel with water, put in the pedestals and place water plants on top of the pedestals.
8. Put the goldfish in the water. They will eat any mosquito larvae.
9. Give plants a thorough watering all around the garden.
10. Continue to water the entire garden twice a week.

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Plant a Pollinator Garden | Ask This Old House
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