My top 12 plants for a pollinator friendly garden

2 Jun

Did you know;

There are over 250 species of bee in the UK

One in three bits of food we eat is pollinated by insects
In the UK there are 1500 species of pollinating insects.

Quite often we think of bees and butterflies, but pollinators are much wider than this, and include moths, butterflies, winged beetles and flies.

In this blog I want to share my top 12 plants for pollinators, to inspire you with your own planting.

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Let’s jump straight in…

I am sharing my top 12 plants which have been carefully chosen to give you plenty of options for every season, most garden conditions and budget options.

Winter

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Pirouette’

This hellebore has an open flower making it perfect for pollinator to gain early access. Flowering from December to April means you get a long period of interest in the garden which is also fantastic for those brave early foraging pollinators. What I particularly love about this variety of hellebore is the striking contrast of the burgundy stems against the soft pin petals and dark green leaves.

Crocus tommasinianus

Crocus look fabulous planted in swathes especially in lawns, these will also naturalise incredibly well. Flowering between February and March which is great for early pollinators, and it’s a great incentive not to mow your lawn.

Saracocca hookeriana var. humilis

This is a fab evergreen shrub to add to your garden and prefers to be in a shaded spot. The delicate white flowers appear in Winter which are beautifully scented and attractive to pollinators when there is little else in the garden.

Spring

Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’

This is a real record breaker when it comes to flowering period, if you keep on top of deadheading. In milder Winters this can start flowering in February and will go through to late Summer. I personally have a few of these planted in a rockery and they thrive and are filled with pollinators. They can be short-lived as they can become woody and need replacing, but they are easy to take cuttings from.

Amelanchier lamarckii

This is a fanatsic all-rounder in the garden, with beautoiful delicate blossom in spring and gorgeous bronze leaves, to dark green leaves and berries in Summer and then a spectacular colour change in Autumn before dropping its leaves. This is great for pollinators durign Spring when the nectar rich blossom is blooming.

Muscari armeniacum

These are great if you are looking for a naturalising bulb and will fairly quickly create colonies. They are a beautiful shade of blue which works perfectly with lots of other Spring bulbs. The bees love to visit them and they are great for containers.

Summer

Verbena Bonariensis

Verbena is such a great plant for any garden. It can lend itself to a more contemporary space, alongside working seamlessly with a traditional cottage garden. The tall statueque stems are sturdy and aren’t phased by the wind and the rounded purple flower heads are a magnet for bees and butterflies.

Nepeta ‘six hills giant’

This profusely flowering perennial is a magnet for pollinators, it will be a rare occurrence to walk past and not hear a hum. The silvery foliage looks fabulous against the lilac-purple flower spikes and it looks great when left to overspill pathways and border edges.

Lonicera x heckrotti ‘gold flame’

This climbing honeysuckle has such gorgeous rhubarb and custard colouring, with pink and orange-yellow tubular flowers. It does need tying in to climb but it is vigorous and once it has finished flowering it produces berries. Honeysuckle has a delightful scent and so is perfect for moths and butterflies.

Allium ‘Purple sensation’

Alliums are great seasonal additions in the garden to signal that Summer has started, and a magnet for the bees. The tall statuesque stems and perfect ball-shaped flower heads make a real structural focal point in the garden. They offer great height and leave the flower heads on to dry and they provide great Autumn-Winter interest too.

Autumn

Symphyotrichum ‘Little Carlow’

These soft lilac daisy-type flowers are great for a sunny or partially shaded spot and really come into their own in late Summer and early Autumn. Their flower shape make a perfect landing spot for bees too!

Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Brilliant’

Also known as Sedum is a fabulous Autumn plant. The flower heads change in Autumn to a dark pink and will attract pollinators. It is also drought tolerant, particularly good for sunny spots and our ever changing weather conditions.

Erigeron karvinskianus

This is a bit of a hero plant as it will cope with most conditions. It flowers for a fantastically long period from May into October, and for me personally as Autumn was so mild this year I still had flowers in early December! The tiny daisy-type flowers in white and pink are attractive to pollinators and it has a wonderful overflowing tendencies and looks great the soften the edge of borders.