Contributed by Denise Ellsworth, program director, Pollinator Education
Thanks to a USDA IPM grant, the pollinator health team (Denise and Mary Gardiner) launched the Plant by Numbers program in Ohio to educate gardeners about the use and importance of native perennials to pollinators. Three garden themes were unveiled this spring: Specialist Bees, Bumble Bees, and Butterflies and Moths. Each theme includes a garden design, a plant list, and growing instructions, all detailed in a full-color handout. In May, planting kits (plants, handouts, and signage) will be distributed to 80 education/demonstration sites across the state, many coordinated by or in cooperation with county offices of OSU Extension. Three additional themes will be launched in spring 2024.
Handouts and resources can be found at u.osu.edu/plantbynumbers.
