One of the purposes of growing plants from seed is to support the pollinators that help our plants grow, and produce food for us. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, bats, bees, birds, moths and butterflies pollinate fruits, nuts, vegetables, chocolate and coffee as well as flowers. Over one-third of our food crops rely on these creatures to produce the food we eat. Native bees species, numbering in the thousands, expand our crop yields.
Today we are losing many of our pollinators. It just makes good sense to support them by planting host plants to enable their survival. Bees are vanishing. Bats are dying. Some of the problems which confront our pollinators are habitat loss, parasites, pollutants and disease which kill them. When they can’t find the right pollen or nectar they need, we lose them. The USDA is helping pollinators, and you can help them too by planting native plants that support them.
So how do we do that? One way you can do that is discovering what will grow in your area. This page, from the Xerces Society, will inform you of your best choices, for example, milkweed, Red Columbine and Lead Plant are some choices for the Midwest. One source for wildflower seeds is Prairie Moon Nursery and there are others available if you search. The mentioned nursery sells their seed packets containing many seeds for $3.00 as of the 2024 season. I haven’t priced other wildflower seed companies, but they may be priced similarly.
Next step, go here to learn how to start them indoors.