Book

Review from The American Gardener (American Horticultural Society) (Sept/Oct)

Having worked as a garden designer for 15 years, I’m aware of the importance of native plants, but communicating this to my clients is not always easy. Kim Eierman’s book has given me the base knowledge and language I need to convey the message effectively — as well as inspiration to encourage greater advocacy. As she notes, “You don’t have to be an entomologist to realize that pollinators are in trouble, and you don’t have to be a professional landscaper or horticulturist to do something about it.”

The Pollinator Victory Garden increases our horticultural vocabulary by detailing the close-knit relationships of pollinators and plants. I learned that the buzz pollination techniques of native bumblebees on blueberries “creates twice as much fruit as honeybee pollinations.” I discovered that puddling describes a behavior of butterflies (mostly male) gathering salts from wet, stony ground and may help increase viability of future caterpillars. And floral balance is having a wide diversity of plants in sufficient quantities to support the pollen and nectar needs of pollinators so they may successfully reproduce.

Basic inventory charts in this well-researched guide consider succession and overlap of blooms; what types of flowers attract which species of pollinator; and which trees and shrubs are valuable for supporting pollinator reproduction and nectaring. We also learn how to make a sample host plant checklist for specific butterflies. While butterflies usually get the most attention, the author reminds us to not to forget nocturnal pollinators such as moths. The appendix includes lots of references for furthering our knowledge about gardening for pollinators.

Habitat considerations must be integral in designing gardens that support our native pollinators, and all of us can help. Where space is limited, even a native plant in a pot will add to the resources they need. As Eierman puts it, “A native flower is never more beautiful than when it’s graced by a nectaring pollinator.”

Review from Horticulture Magazine (Jan/Feb 2020)

"Horticulturist, landscape designer and educator Kim Eierman outlines how certain changes and additions to any garden can make it more supportive of pollinators, be they bees, bats, beetles or birds. This book provides an in-depth education of how pollination works and what pollinators need to thrive, and then translates that information into actionable steps to take in the garden. Following the main chapters of The Pollinator Victory Garden is a valuable appendix that distills much of Eierman’s advice into checklists and plant lists. Bulleted lists and sidebars throughout the book take its practical value even further. All told this is a very handy manual for anyone interested in combating pollinator decline by starting at home."

 

Review from The Northern Gardener - Minnesota State Horticulture Society (February 2020)

"Kim Eierman, founder of EcoBeneficial, explains the need to plant for pollinators in the context of victory gardens in her new book The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening (Quarry Books, 2020).

Victory gardens were the home-front food gardens planted during World War I and II to help with the war effort. Home gardeners raised an incredible amount of food—40 percent of the produce raised in 1944 was grown in home gardens. Eierman argues that the decline in pollinators and insects of all kinds is as grave as the world wars, given the threat to food production and ecosystems it presents.  The book’s chapters each describe “essentials” of pollinator gardening—basic, useful information for designing a pollinator garden and planting for pollinators in all their phases of lives.

Eierman covers how pollination works, why it is vital to the planet and which insects and animals are pollinators. She goes through basics of the many types of pollinators (beetles, bees, moths, butterflies and bats among others), habitat needs of pollinators, such as shelter, overwintering spots, water and food and gives guidelines for homeowners on ways to plant to attract pollinators. The book is an easy read and it’s filled with wonderful photos of pollinators and plants—many of them provided by Minnesota author Heather Holm.

Of particular use to northern gardeners is Eierman’s focus on creating overwintering habitats for pollinators. While some butterflies and moths migrate, many insects spend the winter snuggling into plant stems, hollow logs, under bark or underground. Being a “messy” gardener who keeps a brush pile and doesn’t cut down perennials in fall is a good thing for pollinators.

I also liked Eierman’s design suggestions for incorporating native plants from your region in your garden beds, planting lots of plants for a succession of bloom and focusing on trees and shrubs, which are vital to pollinators, especially in the larval stages. Her advice is solid and with large print, information broken up into easily absorbed sections and those gorgeous photos — this book is a great introduction to pollinator-forward gardening. It also would be a good book for a middle-school aged or above child who has an interest in the environment."

 

Review from The Connecticut Gardener (March/April 2020)

"In case you haven't been paying attention, pollinators are in trouble. Their decline is due to a number of factors including loss of habitat, widespread use of pesticides, invasive plants, decreasing biodiversity and climate change.

So what do you do if you're a concerned gardener? You create a garden/yard with plants, shrubs and trees that are attractive to pollinators.

(Kim) Eierman's concept of The Pollinator Victory Garden is similar to the Homegrown National Parks suggested by Doug Tallamy. The basic problem is the same.  Most of our leaders and representatives ignore environmental issues so we have to, Minuteman style, take up the cause ourselves in our own front, back and side yards.

Eierman's approach is straightforward.  She starts out with the basics of pollination and introduces us to the pollinators (bats, bees, beetles, birds, butterflies, flies, moths and wasps). Then she tells us how to plan and grow a Pollinator Victory Garden that provides pollinators with the habitat and food they need.  The  appendices are chock full of information including Early-Blooming Native Trees and Shrubs for Bees, Native Flowering Plants for Native Pollinators, Native Flowering Plants for Honey Bees and Native Flowering Plants for Hummingbirds.

Along the way Eierman touches on a broad range of issues: lawn reduction, pesticide use, straight species vs. cultivars, pollinator tongue length, plants to avoid, containers, meadows and pollinator pathways - to name just a few. She provides all the advice and information you'll need to get started on your own pollinator project."