Gardeners are often encouraged to try to establish plants that will support pollinators. Doing so will help out a number of beneficial species, ranging from bees to butterflies, who return the favor by carrying out the necessary pollination process to keep your plants healthy.

Limnanthes douglasii are an excellent way to bring pollinators to your yard. Nicknamed meadow foam, it is also referred to as the poached egg plant. A circular yellow pattern formed by each flower's five petals is surrounded by white on the edges, making it look like something you'd expect to find on your breakfast plate.

Poached egg plants are part of a genus of low growing wildflowers. Marjorie G. Schmidt and Katherine L. Greenberg, authors of the 2012 book "Growing California Wildflowers," say they are typically grow in clusters in grasslands and near vernal pools. They usually reach a height and spread of about 12 inches.

The plant grows well in cool weather, so it can be planted in either the spring or autumn. The English gardening specialist Sarah Raven says seeds sown in the later summer or early autumn may bloom before the first hard frost. Although poached egg plants are annuals, they will also return in the spring if sown later in the season.

However, this option may work best in areas with mild winters. Frances Tenenbaum, editor of the 2003 book "Encyclopedia of Garden Plants," says fall sowing of poached egg plants is ideal for areas that fall into Zone 7 or higher on the USDA hardiness scale. In areas with colder winters, you may get better results by planting in containers or waiting until the spring to sow seeds.

Choose a site with full sunlight or partial shade. The soil should be rich, moist, and well-drained. The Royal Horticultural Society says poached egg plants aren't too picky about the pH level.

Rake the soil to help loosen it, and plant seeds about one-eighth of an inch deep. The seed company Thompson & Morgan recommends separating rows by 12 inches and thinning seedlings to four inches apart.

The flowers will stay healthy as long as temperatures are moderate. Tenenbaum says they will start to fade or die off once the warmer months of summer arrive. Poached egg plants will self-sow.

The Royal Horticultural Society says poached egg plants are generally free of pests and diseases. Thompson & Morgan says they have also proved particularly attractive to hoverflies, which are valued by gardeners because of their tendency to feed on aphids.