Pollinator patches
We’re growing native plants and making kits so that local gardeners can provide the perfect food for bees, butterflies, other pollinators and birds in spring, summer, and fall. Since 2022, we our Pollinator Patch Program has resulted in more than 8,000 native plants being planted in Ottawa South and beyond.
Giveaway 2026
The signup form for 2026 will be available starting from 1 pm on May 20th. Residents of River, Gloucester-Southgate, Capital and Alta Vista Wards can apply to receive a kit of pollinator-friendly native plant seedlings to create wildlife habitat gardens.
Garden light options: Sunny (6+ hours of sun per day) or a shady/part sun (2-4 hours of sun per day)
Size: kits will have 16-21 plants, enough for a 3 ft by 6-7 ft bed, blooming in all three seasons from spring to fall
Pick-up will be on Wednesday May 27 at Brookfiled High School (824 Brookfield Rd) from 4:00 to 6:30 pm
This year we will distribute only 30 residential kits and will prioritize OSEAN volunteers and the Ottawa South neighbourhoods circled in red to make our current Butterflyways (shown with flower icons) even better, and decrease the distance that pollinators need to travel.
This year we are again keeping plants to distribute kits for community and public gardens at a later date, so please let us know if you are interested in a community garden or restoration planting kit.
How far can a pollinator travel?
Plant catalogue
Includes information about growing conditions, best uses, and beginner-friendly plants
Click here to view our catalogue
Butterflyway Map
We are adding local pollinator patches (with permission) to the OSEAN Ottawa South Butterflyways on the David Suzuki Foundation Butterflyway map to help show the connectedness of native plant food sources across Canada. The garden locations are listed by street or neighbourhood, not by address.
Resources
Guide to residential gardening in the right of way / boulevard gardens
Native Plants & Pollinators in your Vegetable Garden: A Guide to Companion Planting from the Butterflyway Project
Visit the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library for information on adding native plants to your garden, including recommendations of local nurseries which sell straight native species.
Watch a presentation by Berit Erickson to learn how to select the right area for your yard, how to prepare that area, and then how to design your patch based on how much sun and shade the area gets. The slides can be found here.
Yard sign
If you’d like to have a yard sign such as the one above, then you can fill out our yard sign form to show your interest, and we’ll get back to you when we’re ready to order and to confirm your request.
Our privately owned land and the ecosystems upon it are essential to everyone’s well-being, not just our own.
-Douglas W. Tallamy
With thanks to our supporters
Gaia Organic Seeds (https://gaiaorganics.ca/)
A Cultivated Art (https://www.acultivatedart.com/)
City of Ottawa (https://ottawa.ca)
Naturaide (http://www.naturaide.ca)
Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library (https://wildflowerseedlibrary.ca)
Ecoasis Landscape Restorations (http://www.ecoasisrestoration.ca)
Fletcher Wildlife Garden (https://ofnc.ca/programs/fletcher-wildlife-garden)
Green Thumb Garden Centre (https://www.greenthumbgarden.ca)