Techniques for incorporating flowers into turf lawns to improve pollinator forage opportunities

One of the primary factors implicated in the decline of both honey bee and wild bee populations is a lack of flowering plants. Conservation efforts to supplement foraging resources have classically focused on rural areas and cropland borders. One often-overlooked sector of agriculture is turfgrass. Turfgrass is cultivated on 40 million acres nationwide in a variety of urban and rural landscapes and represents one of the largest managed horticultural sectors. While typically managed as a monoculture, changing cultural perspectives and public concern for pollinators have created interest in how this managed environment may be utilized for pollinator conservation. In order to make recommendations on flowering lawn creation, we undertook a number of experiments designed to identify appropriate companion grasses, seeding methods, seeding rates, and mowing practices for a number of native and non-native flowering plants. Our preliminary results indicate a number of best management practices that could aid in the creation of a flowering lawn that has value to both honey bees and wild bees.