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?

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.