A Wake-Up Call for Garden Lovers: What Fertilizers Mean for Our Pollinators

As someone who spends their days working with Colorado gardens, I was struck by a new study that should make all of us pause and think about how we care for our outdoor spaces. Research published in The Guardian, drawing from the world's longest-running ecological experiment, reveals something startling: heavy fertilizer use cuts pollinator numbers in half and reduces flowering plants by 80%.

The findings hit close to home. Those of us tending gardens in Colorado's challenging climate know the temptation of quick fixes and "miracle grows." But this 150-year study shows that even moderate fertilizer use led to 42% fewer pollinators and five times fewer flowers compared to natural spaces. Most concerning? Bees were the hardest hit, with nine times more bees found in chemical-free areas.

The science is straightforward: fertilizers create conditions where aggressive grasses overtake the diverse flowering plants that our pollinators need to survive. It's a chain reaction - fewer flowers mean fewer bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that make our gardens come alive.

What can we do? Start small. Consider scaling back on fertilizers and embracing plants that naturally thrive in your soil. Watch what happens when you let parts of your garden grow a little wilder. You might be surprised by the abundance of life that returns when we step back and let nature take the lead.

For more details on this important research, read the full article in The Guardian.