Butterflies and bees come to the flowers, Dempsey said. Dempsey is part of a growing movement to create wildlife habitat within urban and suburban neighborhoods. By providing food, water and cover, gardeners can attract a wide variety of birds, insects and other wild creatures. That does more than make the community a better place to live. These insects, as well as other animals like birds and bats, help plants reproduce by transferring pollen from one plant to another.
Pollinators are vital to the survival of many wild plants and food crops.
In fact, one out of every three bites of food is a plant that exists only through pollination. And pollinator populations are in decline. Since 1990, managed honeybee colonies have declined by 25 percent. Moreover, pesticide use and habitat loss are threatening many wild pollinators like butterflies and ground-nesting bees. By replacing lawn with nectar and pollen-rich plants, gardeners like Dempsey are helping to provide habitat for these pollinators one yard at a time.