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The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

468 - Pollinators: Are They Telling You Something About Your Garden? — with Disney Conservation Scientist Morgan Belle

The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

Jill McSheehy

How To, Education, Home & Garden, Leisure

4.7 • 830 Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Struggling with pests or poor pollination in your garden?
Wondering how to attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects naturally?
In this episode, you'll learn simple, practical ways to support pollinators and grow a healthier vegetable garden.

I'm coming to you from Disney World's Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, where I had the chance to talk with entomologist Morgan Bell at Butterfly Landing. She shares how pollinators like bees, butterflies, and even wasps play a vital role in your garden ecosystem—and how the small choices you make can have a big impact.

We talk about how to attract pollinators, why caterpillars aren't always a bad thing, and what you can do right now to create a garden that supports both productivity and biodiversity. If you've ever wondered how to balance growing food with supporting nature, this episode will give you a clear place to start.

Key Takeaways

  • Why pollinators are essential for fruit and vegetable production
  • The difference between host plants and nectar plants
  • How to attract more bees and butterflies naturally
  • Simple ways to support pollinators without extra work
  • Why "messy" gardening can actually improve your harvest

Resource Links

Free Resources:

Connect with Me:

Sponsors for This Episode

Garden in Minutes
An easy-to-use watering system that delivers consistent moisture right at the soil level—perfect for simplifying your garden routine.
Use code Jill for 7% off your order: http://journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes
(Discount subject to change.)

Cross Country Nurseries
An organic, sustainable nursery specializing in unique pepper varieties, along with tomatoes, herbs, and more—shipped nationwide at the perfect time for your growing zone.

Disclaimer

Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions. Always check your local extension service or trusted resources for region-specific guidance.

Some links mentioned may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

As gardeners, we all know that having pollinators in our gardens is important,

0:05.0

but do we truly understand the role that the random butterfly or bee plays?

0:10.0

Today I am visiting Disney World and specifically the International Flower and Garden Festival here at Epcot,

0:17.0

and I get to chat with entomologist Morgan Bell at Butterfly Landing.

0:22.1

She is a conservation's program manager with Disney Conservation, where she leads terrestrial

0:27.6

research with a specialty in pollinating insects.

0:31.0

As she walks me through this gorgeous array of pollinator attracting plants, she shares more

0:36.0

about how butterflies, bees, and even wasps play a

0:39.5

role in our vegetable gardens. Join me as we both learn how we can attract and care for these

0:44.9

fascinating players in our gardens ecosystem and beyond. And a special note for our audio listeners.

0:51.4

I love listening to audio podcasts, but you may want to tune in to the

0:55.4

YouTube version or watch the video on Spotify because Morgan is showing us all about the

1:00.8

flowers and the nectar and the host plants at butterfly landing. Plus we get to see several

1:06.8

of the butterflies there. Whether you listen to this podcast or watch the video version

1:12.2

on YouTube or Spotify, I know you're going to love it. Before we dive in, this episode is

1:18.0

sponsored by cross-country nurseries. And if you love growing unique varieties in your garden,

1:23.9

this one is definitely one for you to check out. They're an organic, sustainable nursery

1:29.0

based in New Jersey and they specialize in plant diversity, especially peppers. In fact, they offer

1:35.8

the world's largest selection of sweet and hot pepper plants from plastic bells to some really

1:42.6

fun, hard to find varieties. They also grow tomatoes,

1:46.3

eggplants, herbs, and more, all organically grown and ready to thrive. They ship nationwide

1:53.2

each spring, timed for your growing zone, so they arrive when you are ready to plant. If you

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