Different crops benefit from different kinds of pollinators.

Planting the right support flowers nearby helps them do the job more easily.

• Tomatoes — buzz-pollinated flowers benefit from bumblebees

→ plant nearby: penstemon, bee balm, echinacea for steady bumblebee visits

• Squash — rely on native squash bees and bumblebees early in the morning

→ plant nearby: long-blooming natives like coneflowers and asters to keep bees active in the garden

• Beans — mostly self-pollinating but set improves when small native bees visit

→ plant nearby: alyssum, yarrow, and wild bergamot to attract tiny bee species

• Cucumbers — need visits from multiple bee species for full fruits

→ plant nearby: coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, zinnias, and dill for varied bloom shapes

Choose flowers that bloom through the whole season — diversity invites the pollinators your garden needs.