Bee City is excited to share the return of our popular Backyard Pollinator Garden Program for 2025, and we’re offering free plant kits to help you create your very own haven for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
We know how vital pollinators are to our local ecosystem and the beauty of our landscapes. By planting native and pollinator-friendly species in our own backyards, we can collectively make a significant positive impact on their populations. This program makes it easy for Los Alamos and White Rock residents to support native pollinators while also enhancing the beauty of our natural environment.
What’s Blooming This Year?
In partnership with Plants of the Southwest Nursery in Santa Fe, and with a grant from the Carol Petrie Foundation, our carefully curated plant kits are designed to provide a diverse array of nectar and pollen sources throughout the growing season. While the exact plant species in the 2025 kits are still being finalized to ensure the best mix of native plants, recipients can expect a beautiful selection of about 15 well-adapted plants that are both water-wise and pollinator-friendly.
Last year’s recipients reported success with native flowers like Rocky Mountain penstemon, Firecracker penstemon, prairie coneflower, and native sunflowers, so we’re working to make sure the kits include a mix that highlights these successful plantings. Many recipients shared how happy they were to see native pollinators visiting their new habitats last summer and fall, and said they were looking forward to this year’s pollinator-friendly blooms.
Our Backyard Pollinator Garden Program was very successful last year, and we plan to expand the number of residents who participate this year. If you received a kit last year, please let your friends and neighbors know about this exciting opportunity, as we will be awarding new applicants only this year. We expect to have more applications submitted than kits to distribute, so residents will be awarded based on a review of applications.
How to Apply for a Backyard Pollinator Garden Program Kit:
Fill out the application using the link below. The application is a questionnaire designed to inform applicants about the basic requirements of participating in the program, and requests that recipients agree to maintain their new garden for at least the first two years in order to get the plants established.
Important Dates:
- Sunday, June 1st: Application for Backyard Pollinator Garden Program and plant kits opens.
- By Monday, June 30th: Notification sent to residents awarded a plant kit.
- Third Week of July 2025: Plant kit distribution. Specific dates and pick-up locations will be communicated to residents awarded a plant kit.
Text by Britton Donharl