Gardening for Pollinators

Wildlife Garden designed by Jo Thompson

What can you do in your garden to support our pollinators?

Choose flowers with a simple (often flat) structure, like old cottage varieties, as these are the easiest for insects to feed from.

As a rule of thumb, go for perennials over annuals: perennial plants are generally better sources of pollen and nectar.

Grow a variety of plants. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators all have tongues of different lengths and access nectar from different plants.

Native plants have evolved alongside our native insects and some rarer species tend to favour native wildflowers. There are other benefits to wildflowers too. They can be easy to grow and maintain, and are often relatively resistant to pests.

Add herbs to the mix as they are highly attractive to insects, or design a dedicated herb garden.

Remember to provide a night-time feast for moths. Plant some night-scented flowers.

Keep an eye out for endorsements such as the Royal Horticultural Society’s “Plants for Pollinators” logo.

Don’t be so tidy! Mow the lawn less frequently or leave a patch to grow wild. This will allow the dandelions and daisies to flower.

Don’t clear up dead plant matter at the end of the year – caterpillars, bumblebee queens and other pupae may overwinter here.

Reduce or eliminate chemical use – these will kill pollinators as well as the targeted ‘pests’. If you must spray do so in a minimal and highly targeted way – try to avoid spraying plants that are flowering and aim to spray later in the evening when most pollinators are tucked up in bed and less likely to be affected.

Provide a bee and butterfly puddler. Like all animals, insects require water to stay hydrated and healthy. Providing a shallow dish filled with a mixture of gravel, stones, sand and soil will allow these creatures to land safely and get to the water. Add a pinch of salt and you’re done.

Gardening for pollinators

Planting a pollinator garden is a fantastic way to create a space where wildlife can flourish. It will also ensure your garden is full of vibrance and colour, awash with gorgeous scents and varied all year round. The majority of animal pollinators are insects; bees, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, and beetles are the most common insect pollinators. In some parts of the world birds and bats are also important pollinator species.

There is usually an abundance of food for bees in spring, with many trees flowering and the hedgerows bursting with flowers. Gardens are usually full of colour at this time of year. At other times of year when forage is in short supply, gardens can play an important role in providing food for pollinators.

Honey bees like to find a single crop and exhaust it before moving on to the next source of nectar or pollen. Beekeepers with bee friendly gardens may find that their bees ignore their carefully tended beds and head straight out in search of something bigger and better. That said, there are always stray foragers that appreciate a gardener’s best efforts and remember that it is not only honey bees that will appreciate your garden.

What plants should you select at the garden centre?

Hungry pollinators need flowers that produce lots of nectar (for carbohydrates) and pollen (for protein). Some bees also use waxes and resins from flowers to build their nests. In return for the resources they receive, pollinators transfer pollen from a flower’s anthers (the male part of a plant) to another flower, where the pollen sticks to the stigma (the female part). The fertilized flower later yields fruit and seeds.

Over millenia plants, like wildflowers, shrubs and trees, have evolved to attract bees and other pollinating insects. They all provide valuable forage; trees and shrubs in particular as they provide masses of flowers in one place. Many modern cultivars are grown for their showy flowers and do not produce nectar and so they are ignored by pollinators. The best way to attract bees to your garden is to select your flowers carefully.

Do you see pollinators visiting particular plants? If you are in a garden centre, you may quickly see which flowers bees and butterflies visit most.

Wildlife Garden designed by Jo Thompson

Gardening for Pollinators

Planting a pollinator garden is a fantastic way to create a space where wildlife can flourish. It will also ensure your garden is full of vibrance and colour, awash with gorgeous scents and varied all year round. The majority of animal pollinators are insects; bees, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, and beetles are the most common insect pollinators. In some parts of the world birds and bats are also important pollinator species.

There is usually an abundance of food for bees in spring – with many trees flowering and the hedgerows bursting with flowers. Gardens are usually full of colour at this time of year. At other times of year when forage is in short supply, gardens can play an important role in providing food for pollinators.

What plants should you select at the garden centre?

Over millennia, plants, like wildflowers, shrubs and trees, have evolved to attract bees and other pollinating insects. They all provide valuable forage; trees and shrubs in particular as they provide masses of flowers in one place. Many modern cultivars are grown for their showy flowers and do not produce nectar and so they are ignored by pollinators. The best way to attract bees to your garden is to select your flowers carefully.

Do you see pollinators visiting particular plants? If you are in a garden centre you can quickly see which flowers bees and butterflies visit most.

What can you do in your garden to support our pollinators?

Choose flowers with a simple (often flat) structure, like old cottage varieties, as these are the easiest for insects to feed from
As a rule of thumb, go for perennials over annuals: perennial plants are generally better sources of pollen and nectar.
Grow a variety of plants. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators all have tongues of different lengths and access nectar from different plants
Native plants have evolved alongside our native insects and some rarer species tend to favour native wildflowers. There are other benefits to wildflowers too. They can be easy to grow and maintain, and are often relatively resistant to pests.
Add herbs to the mix as they are highly attractive to insects, or design a dedicated herb garden
Remember to provide a night-time feast for moths. Plant some night-scented flowers
Keep an eye out for endorsements such as the Royal Horticultural Society’s “Plants for Pollinators” logo.
Don’t be so tidy! Mow the lawn less frequently or leave a patch to grow wild. This will allow the dandelions and daisies to flower
Don’t clear up dead plant matter at the end of the year – caterpillars, bumblebee queens and other pupae may overwinter here
Reduce or eliminate chemical use – these will kill pollinators as well as the targeted ‘pests’. If you must spray do so in a minimal and highly targeted way – try to avoid spraying plants that are flowering and aim to spray later in the evening when most pollinators are tucked up in bed and less likely to be affected
Provide a bee and butterfly puddler. Like all animals, insects require water to stay hydrated and healthy. Providing a shallow dish filled with a mixture of gravel, stones, sand and soil will allow these creatures to land safely and get to the water. Add a pinch of salt and you’re done.

External resources

Wilderhood Watch – working together to create an eco-friendly neighbourhood in and around St Albans.

The Middle Sized Garden – If your garden is bigger than a courtyard but smaller than an acre.

Best Plants for Bees – Gardeners World – We list the best types of flowers for bees, including the best bee plants to grow throughout the year.

Gardening for Pollinators

What can you do in your garden to support our pollinators?

Gardening for pollinators​

Gardening for Pollinators

What can you do in your garden to support our pollinators?

External resources

Gardening for pollinators