Resources & Downloads

Michigan Native Plant Garden Guides & Other Helpful Resources

Three Helpful Garden Guides

List of Michigan Native Plant Nurseries and Sellers

List of Michigan Native Garden Designers and Consultants

Free Downloadable Resources:

Each of the following FREE and downloadable resources contain helpful garden designs that utilize native plants. 

1. Rochester Pollinators Pollinator Garden Download

Check out our complete, downloadable garden guide with free garden designs, places to buy plants, and other resources.

 

 

 

 

2. Wild Ones Michigan Native Plant Garden Design Download

Wild Ones is offering a collection of FREE regional native garden designs! The site was developed with the first-time gardener in mind, but has excellent resources and downloadable professional garden designs that are great for seasoned native gardeners, too. Find their landing page here

3. Michigan Audubon Society: Michigan Native Garden Design for the Birds and Pollinators Download

OR Order printed copies at $2 each directly from them at:
Michigan Audubon Society Native Plants

They also have this great resource for Bird Friendly Landscapes here:
Michigan Native Plants for Bird-Friendly Landscapes

4. Attracting Butterflies to Your Home Garden

The link above is a document that contains the Pollinator and Butterfly Presentation, which has been delivered at various locations. Due to numerous requests, we have now made it accessible online.

Other Helpful Resources:

Powerhouse Native Plants for Michigan Landscaping (North Oakland Wild Ones)

A list of various species that support large numbers of pollinators, other beneficial insects and birds--aka Keystone Plants

 

 

 

 

Managing Michigan Wildlife: A Landowner's Guide

A very comprehensive guide from the Michigan DNR that has everything you need to know about Michigan native plants and wildlife. A free resource that is used by Master Gardeners!

 

Natural Shoreline Landscapes on Michigan's Inland Lakes

If your property lies along a shoreline, this guide from the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership is an excellent resource for restoring and maintaining native ecology.

"RoundUp" Glyphosate Information

RoundUp is no longer available for residential use. It was extremely harmful to pollinators AND people. ConsumerNotice.org details the damage to humans. They also offer alternatives here: "Alternatives to RoundUp" but we must caution you that some of these may still not be ok for pollinators.

Recommended Books:

Buchmann, Stephen. What a Bee Knows: Exploring the Thoughts, Memories, and Personalities of BeesWashington, DC: Island Press, 2023. Use code GETOUTSIDE for 25% off when ordering from the publisher!

Cohen, Josh, Michael A. Kost, Bradford S. Slaughter and Dennis A. Albert. Field Guide to the Natural Communities of Michigan. East Lansing, MI: MSU Press, 2014.

Dziedzic, Brenda. Raising Butterflies and Moths in the Garden, 2nd Edition. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, March 2023.

Holm, Heather. Pollinators of Native Plants: Attract, Observe and Identify Pollinators and Beneficial Insects with Native Plants. Minnetonka, MN: Pollinator Press, 2014. (link includes other publications and resources by Holm)

Johnson, Lorraine & Colla, Sheila. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2023. Use code GETOUTSIDE for 25% off when ordering directly from the publisher.

McLaughlin, Chris. The Good Garden: How to Nurture Pollinators, Soil, Native Wildlife, and Healthy Food—All in Your Own Backyard. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2023. Use code GETOUTSIDE for 25% off at the publisher! 

Steiner, Lynn. Landscaping with Native Plants of Michigan. Voyageur Press, 2006

Steiner, Lynn and Robert W. Domm. Rain Gardens: Sustainable Landscaping for a Beautiful Yard and a Healthy World. Voyageur Press, 2012

Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. Timber Press, 2009. (link also shows other Tallamy books)

Tallamy, Douglas W. Natures Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard. Timber Press, 2020.

Sources For and Information About Michigan Native Plants:

Our list of Michigan Native Plant Sources

A bunch of great sources for native plants for garden projects!

Rochester Pollinators Brochure

Why pollinators and the Monarch butterfly need our help; the Rochester Pollinators' mission.

Pollinator Plant List

A list of 18 pollinator plants with heights, sun and water needs perfect for your home garden!

Native Plant Finder for Your Area

A great source for locating plants that are the best for your area on his website.

Garden Planning

Components of a Butterfly Garden 

What it takes to start your butterfly garden including nectar rich plants, host plants and the butterflies that need them for their young, and the pollinators they attract.

Starter Garden Layout

Original starter pollinator garden layout. 

Garden Plans

Various garden plans based on your space, sun and soil type. 

List of Annuals

A list of preferred nectar rich pollinator annuals. 

NWF Garden for Wildlife

Information about garden essentials to support wildlife, examples of gardens and how to certify your garden as a "certified wildlife habitat"

Videos:

CBSNews Detroit: Interview with Rochester Pollinator's Marilyn Trent, and Bees in the D founder, Brian Peterson, "How growing certain plants are essential to supporting butterfly population"

Presentation: Saving Our Pollinators by Saving Their Natural Resources
by Marilyn Trent and Valerie Malaney at the Southfield Public Library, Garden Guru Series, Spring 2022. Video production by Southfield Cable 15

Part 1: Why We Are Losing Our Pollinators and Birds (18:53)

 Part 2: Who Are Our Pollinators? (17:35)

Part 3: How to Plant a Pollinator Garden (22:18)

Presentation: Nature's Best Hope: Conservation Starts in Your Own Backyard

Well worth watching! It's informative, interesting and inspiring. Presented by Doug Tallamy, the founder of the Backyard Pollinator Plant Movement

Links to Other Resources:

iNaturalist

Explore and share your observations of the natural world. Engage in seasonal Citizen Science Projects by choosing a project and contributing your observations as data.

National Wildlife Federation: Wildlife Guide to Pollinators

A great overview of pollinators, including kinds of pollinators, why they are important, the challenges that threaten them, what we can do.

National Wildlife Federation: Schoolyard Habitats Planning Guide

Part of the NWF Schoolyard Habitiat Program: "To help reconnect today's children to the outdoors, the National Wildlife Federation assists schools in developing outdoor classrooms called Schoolyard Habitats®, where educators and students learn how to attract and support local wildlife."

Nesting & Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators & Other Beneficial Insects

A Comprehensive Guide to Move Beyond Flowers and Create Overwintering Habitat in Your Landscaping 

Home Grown National Park

Put your garden on the Map! This is a program led by Doug Tallamy.
Join others across the nation by adding your pollinator garden on the map. They do not ask for personal information—only location and size.

Soft Landings

Heather Holm's resource on Creating Soft Landings underneath native trees, especially Oak Trees, which is crucial to so many butterflies, moths and more.

Great Local Pollinator Support Organizations You Can Join:

North Oakland Wild Ones

Have fun and make new friends while learning about Michigan native plants, shrubs and trees. 

A local group to join in educating and promoting the benefit and use of Michigan native plants. They have local speakers and organize field trips to nearby locations, including parks and members’ homes. 

Michigan Wildflower Association

This is a member-based non-profit organization formed in 1986. In other words, we are a bunch of enthusiastic volunteers! "Our mission is to encourage the preservation and restoration of Michigan's native plants and native plant communities"

Blogs:

This is a wonderfully written and informative blog by Cami Mannino about the beautiful Oakland Townships green spaces that are publicly owned.

https://oaklandnaturalareas.com/

Other Important Organizations:

The Xerces Society

International organization advocating for insects

Monarch Watch

Extensive Monarch advocacy and education

Pollinator Partnership

Their mission is "to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research."

Other Websites:

www.pollinator.org

www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

If you know of any great resources that we ought to include here,
please send us a message!
We love to hear about new resources!

pollinators@trentcreative.com