Many of the plants in our farms and gardens could not flourish without bees, butterflies and other pollinators spreading pollen.
By planting flowers for pollinators in our Naturespaces, it is possible for everyone to make a real difference and turn the tide on this decline. It also means you will get to see more of these fabulous creatures in your Naturespace!
Planting nectar and pollen-rich flowers is a simple action to provide resources for pollinators, including bees, hoverflies, butterflies and beetles.
How to do it:
You can buy established plants from garden centres and nurseries. The RHS Plants for Pollinators labelling for wildflowers and garden plants, can help guide your selection of plants in participating shops, garden centres and online stores. Plug plants can be a cost-effective alternative to large plants and seeds are available for purchase through garden centres, catalogues or online.
There are a number of things you can do to show you aren’t neglecting your garden, but actually helping pollinators. Simply put up a sign in your garden, or you can even mow a neat border and pathways around sections of longer grass to show that it’s intentional. Finally, you can tell your neighbours about Naturehood, encourage them to have a go themselves, and work with others in your community to create a thriving Naturehood for insects and other animals!
There’s a number of options you can get involved with depending on the size of your Naturespace and the amount of time you have.
Different species grow best under different conditions, so you need to consider your soil type, where the plants will be and the amount of sunlight that they’ll get.
Labels on the pots or on websites will tell you which plants are suitable for your garden type. Take a look at RHS Find a Plant guide for more information.
You will need around three to six plants per m2.
If your space is limited, pots will work as well.
Aim for a number of different flower shapes - for example daisy, bell, round or flat umbels and tubular.
A mix of perennials that flower at different times of the year will also make sure that there’s pollen across the seasons, especially early in spring and autumn when less is in flower.
Consider whether the plants are classed as native, meaning that they naturally occur in the UK - native plants are preferred. Research from the RHS has shown that having a mix of native and non-native species is likely to be the best strategy to help pollinators in gardens.
Follow the planting instructions on the plant labels for the best results.
Plant flowers close together in areas where they will thrive, for example in sunny or partially shaded areas. Don’t forget to make sure your plants are getting enough water and regularly remove any dead ones.
Observe your plants and see what attracts the most pollinators, then grow more of whatever proves popular!
What you choose to plant is up to you! However, the number of options can be somewhat overwhelming, so take a look at some of our suggestions for the different seasons.
(Erysimum sp.)
(Calluna, Erica)
(Primula vulgaris)
(Ajuga reptans)
(Cardamine pratensis)
(Taraxacum officinale)
(Trifolium pratense)
(Centranthus ruber)
(Lavandula angustifolia)
(Verbena bonariensis)
(Erysimum sp.)
(Origanum vulgare)
(Centaurea nigra)
(Scabiosa sp.)
(Circium)
(Thymus)
(Stachys officinale)
(Hieracium/Hypochoeris)
(Symphiotrychum)
(Agastache foeniculum)
(Origanum vulgare)
(Calluna, Erica)
(Echinacea purpurea)
(Eupatorium cannabinum)
(Hylotelephium telephium)
(Hedera helix)
(Mentha)
©Earthwatch 2021