In Hamilton, flowers in gardens are a great help to nature. Not only does your home look prettier, but you are providing food for a lot of beneficial creatures. Remember, the insects you get in your garden are not just pests; there are many beneficial insects and animals that need food to survive so they can pollinate plants or eat nonbeneficial insect populations. By planting the types of flowers these insects and animals like, you are actually helping to keep your garden healthy and blooming. In places like Hamilton, flowers that help animals like birds survive mean you will see fewer bugs around, as the birds will eat the bugs, for example.
By providing plants that are attractive to these insects, too, you help promote pollination. Bees and butterflies are major pollinators, that is, they transfer pollen from one plant to another. This pollen is what makes fruit grow; without it, you will get no fruit or vegetables if you have any of those in your garden. Or, you could always hand-pollinate, but that can be very time-consuming if you have a large garden. Not all plants are self-pollinating, so many rely on an external method of pollination, such as pollen getting stuck on a bee's legs and then being deposited when the bee flies to another flower.
In Hamilton, flowers are actually kind of easy to grow. A lot of species are adapted to the area, including many that attract bees, butterflies, and birds. The moisture and humidity levels in Ontario do mean that you have to keep an eye out for diseases that might take a liking to your flowers, too, but those are manageable -- every garden you see is another clue that plant diseases are not the end of the world for your garden.
The types of flowers you plant are important. You can't plant random species if you want to attract specific insects and animals; if the plants are not normally ones that they will go for, then they will not show up in your garden, save for some exploratory missions to see if you happen to have any tasty plants around. It's better to plant flowers that are specifically meant to attract a certain type of animal or insect because then they will be drawn to your garden -- they will know there is a food source there. There is no guarantee that you will get hordes of butterflies if you plant flowers for them, but you definitely increase your chances. In Hamilton, flowers that attract insects and animals should get at least some visitors.
Do be aware of any neighbors who are allergic to bees, though. It is very tempting to plant flowers that are attractive to bees -- or even to start a home beekeeping project -- but that is not fair at all to your neighbors who are allergic to bee stings. They can't help that they are, so plant flowers that are attractive to insects like butterflies instead. Butterflies are major pollinators, and you will be doing everyone a favor by attracting and feeding these colorful winged insects.
Remember to care for the flowers properly. Hire a gardening service if that will make things easier. Do not worry about how much of your garden is attractive to things like hummingbirds or butterflies; if you incorporate a lot of plants, you will have a better chance of seeing some than if you plant only a few. But plant what you think will look good, too -- that garden is there for your enjoyment. Combined with local florists who can provide cut flowers for your kitchen table, a flowery garden with butterflies and hummingbirds all around can make your home a beautiful place to be in spring, summer, and fall.
