Option One: Standard Pollinator Garden

The Standard Pollinator Garden Option provides the applicant with a pre-selected list of native plant species to include in a pollinator garden. Only these plant species may be purchased with funding through this option. Other items eligible for purchase through this option are mulch, topsoil or related soil product and lumber/hardware.

New this year, this grant will pay for the purchase of simple gardening tools such as child- and adult-sized gloves, spades, shovels, rakes, trowels and hoes. Tool costs shall not account for more than 25% of the total project cost.

1. The applicant is responsible for completing all aspects of the application form, including the Budget for the Standard Pollinator Garden Option, and is subject to all other conditions and requirements stated in the application form.

2. The native plant species selected for this garden are suitable for growing conditions throughout Illinois and are good providers of nectar and pollen for native pollinators. They should be planted in a location that receives full sunshine for more than half of each day’s period of daylight. These are not plants to be grown in shady conditions. If you plant all of the species in the list, you should have some plants in bloom from May through at least October.

3. Plants should be purchased as plugs or seedlings grown in containers. Do not request seeds to grow the plants for this option. If you want to use seeds in your project, select Option Two. The larger the plant that you purchase, the sooner it will be likely to bloom. Some of these plants may not bloom until their second or third year of growth.

4. Shown below is the list of plant species to be used in the pollinator garden. It is up to the applicant to determine how many plants of each species will fit in his/her available space. An example is provided for a square space that is 12 feet long on each side. You can use this example to help you determine the number of plants needed for your plot size. For those of you who wish to plant a container version of this garden, the number of plants will be determined by the size of the container. Try to plant a variety of species in the container instead of using only one type of plant.

These images are provided for your benefit. Feel free to use them as a guide, but you are not obligated to do so. Click on images to download.