Creating Pollinator Gardens and Bee Lawns
NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program encourages citizens to build new pollinator gardens and bee lawns and transform existing gardens and lawns into pollinator oases! Your home, church, or garden club garden can be become a colorful oasis and nourish our bees and butterflies. Visit our helpful resources for creating pollinator-friendly spaces and find step-by-step guides for creating bee lawns and pollinator gardens.
Certified Bee Lawn Signs
Our Bee Lawn initiative began in 2023 following several years of research. We ask homeowners to plant a section of their lawn using the best seed mixes for our Upper Great Plains climate to create an insect friendly oasis. The application for a free Certified Bee Lawn sign, availabe since 2024, has resulted in modification or installation of over 900,000 square feet of bee lawn in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, or Montana.
Certified Pollinator Garden Signs
If you reside in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, or Montana and meet a few qualifiers*, you can receive a free sign to display in your habitat! Since our beginnings in 2016 we've sent over 300 signs to residents of MN, MT, ND, and SD, reaching 110 acres (4.7 million square feet) of designated pollinator-friendly garden space.
Take a virtual tour of these gardens by clicking the house icons on the map at page bottom. Locate public sites to visit by clicking the flower icons. Learn more about our NDSU Extension Master Gardener Pollinator Teaching Gardens and schedule an on-site tour by visiting our Teaching Gardens webpage.
Apply for a Home Pollinator Garden *You'll need to know the approximate square footage or your garden(s) and which native and ornamental plants from our lists, below, you have planted or plan to plant for pollinator nourishment. You will need to specify a water source and winter nesting habitat (these are both very attainable, possibly no-cost additions to your garden), as well as agree to our pesticide practices.
