---
title: "I reaallllyyy wanna support our pollinators in my garden, but I keep…"
description: "I reaallllyyy wanna support our pollinators in my garden, but I keep having fairly rotten luck. I asked ChatGPT to help me out a bit and it made some…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg/ZunfR1yBiPNHtXNKfgeaOy"
community: "Anything about plants"
author: "Lins"
published: "2025-08-12T18:33:33.344399Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/7BrFFknFJbqHEIiFhkL7UynWsqYgZsucWQYfGfZWUig/kpo42sIBQ6aEQdRJD6qZLA.webp?size=large"
---

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# I reaallllyyy wanna support our pollinators in my garden, but I keep…

_Posted by Lins on 2025-08-12_

I reaallllyyy wanna support our pollinators in my garden, but I keep having fairly rotten luck. I asked ChatGPT to help me out a bit and it made some recommendations based on my skill level (low), balcony set-up (partly sunny with a few grow lights), and cat safe. I ended up with marigolds and two kinds of catmint and alas they are starting to look a little sad. They are in a pot together with drainage under a grow light. What am I doing wrong. This is for the bees (et al.)!! 🐝

The first photo is what it looked like right after planting. The second is a few days ago and I’m afraid that it’s a little worse today than it looks in the picture.

![Attachment 1 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/7BrFFknFJbqHEIiFhkL7UynWsqYgZsucWQYfGfZWUig/kpo42sIBQ6aEQdRJD6qZLA.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 2 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/7BrFFknFJbqHEIiFhkL7UynWsqYgZsucWQYfGfZWUig/vmhsdaT4SUGgk9k3e2npkA.webp?size=large)

## 7 comments

### Rhus commented on 2025-08-12

Deadhead your marigold (snip off the old flowers), cut back the catnip (you can do this pretty aggressively, like leave 1 or 2 leaf sets per stem), and they should be fine. The marigold will produce more flowers, and the catnip will branch and get bushier and then also produce more flowers!

### Rhus commented on 2025-08-12

Also, depending on where you live, native bee hotels might be an option too

#### Lins replied on 2025-08-13

I want to do a bee hotel. I’m in Southern California. The only thing that I worry about is that we have some plant in my community that seems to attract wasps. I’m worried that wasps would also want to hotel there. Is that a thing?

#### Rhus replied on 2025-08-13

I have not seen that, but I'm on the opposite end of the country! Your local extension office might be able to answer though.

### Waspinator commented on 2025-08-13

For reference, some plants to avoid: milkweed, tulip, hyacinth, daffodil, crocus, and foxglove (those are all toxic.) And some cat safe suggestions bees will love: monarda. It's called bee balm for a reason. Asters, especially american species, and clovers (both can give cats stomach upset, though they're not likely to try it more than once). Phlox is safe and liked by bees (make sure you check expected size when shopping because some varieties can get large). You can also do any kind of grass or plant that leaves hollow tube stems in fall, or a pot of dry leaf litter (shelter for solitary bees), or a solid block of untreated wood (shelter for carpenter bees), and an insect-safe water dish or puddling station

#### Lins replied on 2025-08-13

I have the water dish. I’m not looking at add anything at the moment, just not kill what I do have right now.

#### Rhus replied on 2025-08-13

These are great suggestions if your plants don't make it! Funny enough, I have some kind of tiny wood-carving bee that ignored ALL THE UNTREATED WOOD I left for bees, to burrow into the framing of my door... 🤦 I have found a dead one and hope my local bee chick (who is amazing) can help me figure out why on earth they did that

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