New Gardener - Ask Extension
I am a lifelong Ohioan, new to gardening and new as a Scioto County resident. I am interested in attempting to create a pollinator friendly environmen...
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New Gardener #873341
Asked June 16, 2024, 4:50 PM EDT
I am a lifelong Ohioan, new to gardening and new as a Scioto County resident. I am interested in attempting to create a pollinator friendly environment. I am nestled very close and almost within Shawnee State Forest Region. I want to know what plants I can use to successfully have a pollinator yard and a pollinator garden. I want instructions on how to have my soil tested and to create a good base. I will be purchasing amendments such as organic leaf compost, and bagged manure as well as non dyed organic mulch. My soil is all extremely rocky due to my narrow valley being formed within an ancient creek bed. My yard and garden area less than a quarter acre I think. I want to get a dog but am uncertain if I will be able to clean up after a large pet if my yard isn't grassy. Please direct me to any printed or online reading to help me learn.
Scioto County Ohio
Expert Response
Dear Susan,
I applaud your ambitious plans! The soil-testing question is the easiest to answer because Franklin Count Extension offers soil testing. Here is the information: https://franklin.osu.edu/program-areas/agriculture-and-natural-resources/soil-testing.
Pollinator lawns are in the news lately. That might answer several of your wishes at once. Growing and maintaining either a flower bed or a lawn of only grass could be difficult with rocky soil, but a pollinator lawn could still provide a dog with a place to roam.
Both Iowa State University Extension and Michigan State Extension have solid practical advice on starting and maintaining a pollinator lawn. Here are links to each of those fact sheets: https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-create-pollinator-lawn
and
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-create-pollinator-lawn.
Just a word of caution, though. A pollinator lawn is not maintenance free, and does take some work to get established. Follow the advice written carefully and completely so that the flowering lawn does not become a weedy patch.
If you have any other gardening questions, please feel free to write again. And best of luck.
I applaud your ambitious plans! The soil-testing question is the easiest to answer because Franklin Count Extension offers soil testing. Here is the information: https://franklin.osu.edu/program-areas/agriculture-and-natural-resources/soil-testing.
Pollinator lawns are in the news lately. That might answer several of your wishes at once. Growing and maintaining either a flower bed or a lawn of only grass could be difficult with rocky soil, but a pollinator lawn could still provide a dog with a place to roam.
Both Iowa State University Extension and Michigan State Extension have solid practical advice on starting and maintaining a pollinator lawn. Here are links to each of those fact sheets: https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-create-pollinator-lawn
and
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-create-pollinator-lawn.
Just a word of caution, though. A pollinator lawn is not maintenance free, and does take some work to get established. Follow the advice written carefully and completely so that the flowering lawn does not become a weedy patch.
If you have any other gardening questions, please feel free to write again. And best of luck.
